You Know You're in My Office When...

You know you're in Pastor Carley's Office when:

1. You walk halfway in the office and still not sure I'm here.

2. a.  There are more toys & game supplies than there are books.

2. b. There are still a lot of books.

3. You know exactly why there are three black buckets scattered around the room.

4. You can always find some sort of sugar in close vicinity.

5. You see a roll of bubble wrap on my desk  and realize it's how I prepare for unfortunate events at youth.

6. You have to move a chair to talk to me.

7. You have to move a chair to get in my filing cabinet.

8. You have to move a roll of carpet to get in my filing cabinet.

9. You aren't quite sure how all those plants stay alive.

10. You're delighted to see new art work and pictures on the bulletin board every time you come.

11. It's always 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the offices.

12. The trash can is never in the same place.

13. My To-Do List on the whiteboard seems to be more colorful every week.

14. The worship "equipment" collection grows, but none of it makes sense. (What does a mirror, a feather, rope, honey, and a bucket all have in common? They've all made an appearance during Sunday morning worship.)

15. You see the piece of giraffe art you've added to my collection.

But most importantly:
You know you're in my office when:

1. You find someone always happy to see you.

2. You find someone ready to listen.

3. You find someone who understands you are wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of God (and God doesn't make junk).


So, please, come visit sometime. Pull up a chair, fidget with a funoodle or bounce a ball on the floor, and share what's going on in your life. Steal some candy while you're at it, too.

- Pastor Carley

Faith and Technology

Admit it. You've checked facebook at least once today. You've probably texted or called someone on your cell phone. You've started the morning off with the TV.  You aren't alone. Our relationship with social technology is more prominent than ever. Technology is now part of who we are, and our lives reflect this dependence.

The Barna Group has put out new research on family and technology. The technology they were interested in was media and social technology (like cell phones and laptops), as opposed to scientific and medical technology. The research is based off of over 400 households of parents and youth from the ages of 11-17. They were asked questions like, "Do you feel technology has a positive or negative impact on your life?" and "Do you ever take a conscious break from technology?" These questions revealed something we probably already knew: We leave and breathe technology without considering its effects. The more depressing result: The church as a whole has avoided addressing this topic within its walls even though it knows how important technology is to families.

To be clear, technology is not bad. Our improper use of it, however, threatens God design for humanity. From the very beginning, God created us to be in relationship with one another. This was an immediate, face-to-face relationship that over the years has spread through the invention of the car, telephone, and airplane. A hundred years ago, your farthest relatives might live three towns over, maybe even a state away. Now, we can connect with family around the world in a matter of seconds.

We face a new problem now - with internet and cell phones, we are able to disconnect from the people and places around us. Have any of you checked your facebook in class or texted during a meeting? While it seems harmless, if God is calling us to embody Christ to all we meet, shouldn't we pay attention to the people around us? The Bible doesn't have specific verses on technology (though the Ark was a technological feat), but it does warn us of the ways we might abuse its benefits.

Technology is bad IF we make it into an idol. Idols come in many shapes and sizes, but they are constructed for worship. Worship occupies our time and energy - mentally note how much time you spend online in a normal day. It may not feel like the hour of worship we spend on Sunday, but our behaviors and loyalty reflect who and what we consider our God. (Also, mentally note how much time you spend in prayer and reading scripture if you want a sobering comparison.)

Technology is bad IF it turns into an addiction. Can you disconnect? Try going 24 hours without checking your email, sending a text, or watching TV. If you can't comfortably give it up, you are on the brink or addiction or already in its grasp. God does not intend for us to give too much of our life to any one thing - He sent his son so that we might experience a freedom from the powers that long to rule our life. To give ourselves over to something else deprives us of a better life. Even if what you look at feels like harmless content, the fact that you're drawn to look signifies a dependence upon the medium (internet, tv, cell phone, etc).

Technology is bad IF it keeps us from authentic and real relationships. Chances are that the more you spend connected to some form of social technology, the less you spend in face-to-face contact with people. Technology (text and facebook especially) leads us away from real, soul-bearing conversation. God longs for us to have a deep connection with our neighbors, complete with non-verbal communication and emotion. We often let social technology rip those opportunities away from us. There's a commercial on TV that shows how technology has done just that.




Has family time become just another experience of sharing TV time? Notice how often the family looks at each other during the commercial.

As Christians, we are called to live differently.That doesn't mean you need to immediately sell your phone, ditch the laptop, or hide the TV. Instead it means we should consider what we allow to enter our life and how much power we will allow it to have over us. Maybe everyone else is on the internet all the time, but does that mean we can't consciously decide to unplug? What if we decided to silence our cell phones just because it would be nice to stop thinking about the texts we aren't receiving? What if we took some time to talk to our family around the dinner table instead of in front of the television?

It doesn't have to be big changes, but maybe those little things will help us reflect a little more on God's gift of relationship. Maybe when we let go of our social  technology connection, we'll find that the people that matter most are still within physical reach. We choose the kind of life we live. Let it be filled with real, deep, life-giving relationships.

The End of the World as We Know It?

Lately there's been a buzz about the end of the world. On May 21, 2011 it is said that all Christian believers will be taken from this earth in the blink of an eye, as Christ comes in final victory. So as people pile extra food supplies into bomb shelters misled to believe that a) the prediction is correct, b) rapture and Armageddon are the same thing, and c) that a bomb shelter can stop God, consider the words of Douglas Adams in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy:

The Origin of the Claim

The claim began with the mathematical calculations of a man by the name of Harold Camping. Camping is the head of Family Radio and a long time Bible code enthusiast. He previously predicted the end of the world would occur in September 6, 1994. Either Camping miscalculated, or we were all left behind.  Followers of Camping are enthusiastic about the idea, wearing T-Shirts and passing out pamphlets explaining what the future does or doesn't hold.

Profittable Outcomes

If you are prepared to evaporate into Heaven this coming Saturday, be sure to invest in rapture pet insurance. For $135, your pet will be cared for by atheists if the rapture occurs in the next ten years.

For $15- $25 you can pick up your very own rapture t-shirt, complete with the mathematical equation Camping developed for explaining his conclusion.

What does this mean for Christians?

We must remember what Scripture tells us: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  Matthew 24:36

While you believe that the world will end on Saturday or not, we must remember that we cannot predict the hour of Christ's return, nor do we know what the events of that day will look like. Instead we must live in the freedom given to us by our God. The only thing we can do to prepare for Christ's unknown return is to live with the hope of Christ in our hearts.

So, again, don't panic. Don't feed into the hysteria. Don't invest in rapture pet insurance or their flashy tote bag. Trust that the God who formed you and knows you by name will take care of you even in uncertain times.

May Events

Sunday, 5/1:  Race of Grace. Meet at the church parking lot at 2:00 PM, return home around 6:00 PM. www.raceofgrace.org

Sunday, 5/8: No Youth. Happy Mother’s Day!

Monday, 5/9: Youth Council Meeting. 7:00 – 8:00 PM in the Middle School Classroom

Tuesday, 5/10: Mission Planning Committee. 7:00 – 8:00 PM in the Middle School Classroom.

Sunday, 5/15: Youth. 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

Praise Band. 7:00 – 8:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday, 5/22: Youth. 5:00 – 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday, 5/29: No Youth. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

FINAL MISSION PAYMENT DUE.  Checks are payable to “Mount Zion UMC” with “youth mission trip – name” in the memo line.

Our Lenten Journey: Maundy Thursday

Today our church celebrates Maundy Thursday with "A Taste of Passover." On this Thursday, we remember Christ and his disciples as they shared the Passover Meal in the Upper Room.

The Passover meal was a highly scripted event. Much like our "taste of passover," much was written out and recited the same way every year. That is why the disciples were confused when Jesus broke bread with the words, "this is my body." It wasn't part of the script! It wasn't part of what they'd always done. These words weren't said out of habit, and it caught the disciples off guard.

Little did the disciples know how quickly their relationship with Christ would come into question after that. Soon Jesus would be arrested while praying, charged, beaten, and crucified.

So what's in the name "Maundy"?
Maundy is most commonly believe to derive from the Latin word, mandatum or commandment. Jesus left his disciples with these words: "Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)
The disciples did not know this would be their "last supper," but they were left with a way to remember and honor Jesus long after he ascended into Heaven.

Now, nearly two thousand years later, we partake in the command to remember. We share in a ceremony similar to the one held by Jesus and the disciples. In our participation, we're linking ourselves to history that extends back to the time of Moses - when God passed over the houses of the Israelites, sparing them from the punishment of the final plague.
It also links us to the time in which Jesus broke bread with his closest friends, commanding us to remember how his break with tradition would change the world forever.

Our Lenten Journey: Palm Sunday

Next Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week - the time in the Christian tradition between Christ's entry into Jerusalem and his crucifixion. We will start Sunday's worship service with the children processing down the aisle with palm branches. This is meant to be an exciting time in the church calendar, and a celebratory worship service, but we can't forget the meaning behind waving branches in the air and the familiar ring of "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

How did it all begin?

Palm Sunday is to commemorate Jesus' triumphal entry into the city. Jesus is fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 when he enters the gates on the back of a donkey:

Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion!
   Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem!
   Look! Your King is coming to you:
      He is righteous and victorious.
      He is humble and rides on a donkey,
         on a colt, a young pack animal.

Why a donkey?

The truth is, in that area, kings and nobles processing into the city on the back of a donkey were signifying peaceful intentions. Donkeys were a symbol of peace.

Why palm branches?

Palm branches were laid at the feet of a king or noble when they were arriving in victory or triumph. When the crowd laid palm branches before Jesus, they were implying that Jesus was victorious over all others.

What about "Hosanna" and "Blessed is He"?

Hosanna is a derivation of the Hebrew word "hoshana," meaning "save." When the people shouted "hosanna," they were both desperate and hopeful for Jesus' salvation. Their declarations take us back to the words of Psalm 118:25-27:

LORD, save us!
   LORD, grant us success!

 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
   From the house of the LORD we bless you.
The LORD is God,
   and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
   up to the horns of the altar.

What should we remember from this story?

Palm Sunday wasn't just a "cool thing" that happened, but in a way it marks the beginning of the end. Jesus fulfills the prophecy of the coming Messiah, and continues on his journey to crucifixion and resurrection. Consider everything Jesus stood against as he rode into the city - in peace and victory. On Palm Sunday, Jesus was recognized as the symbol of hope he truly was (and still is), and as we come into the sanctuary this week, we will be honoring the only one who can save us as we wave our palm branches. Christ comes in victory.

You can find the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:29–44; John 12:12–19



Our Lenten Journey: The Color Purple

I know what you're thinking, and this isn't a reference to an Alice Walker book. Lent is full of symbols. From the ashes that start a period of fasting and prayer, to the unleavened bread of passover, these visual cues transform our understanding of the forty days. The color purple is one of these symbols.

Color is powerful. Ever wonder why most fast food places use red or yellow in their color scheme? Red is used because we mentally perceive it as an energetic and confident color. Red excites us, stimulates us, and causes us to make decisions quickly. Yellow encourages communication, wakes us up, and gives us feelings of happiness. There's a reason McDonalds has "golden arches."

Purple is a different matter. We most often associate purple with royalty (for fast food places like Taco Bell, the "royal" emotion in purple triggers feelings of worth - "it's worth paying this much money for what I'm getting.") During Lent, however, purple is to remind us of the suffering endured by the King of Kings.

Here is what the ecumenical CRI/Voice Institute says about the symbol of purple:
"The color used in the sanctuary for most of Lent is purple, red violet, or dark violet. These colors symbolize both the pain and suffering leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus as well as the suffering of humanity and the world under sin.  But purple is also the color of royalty, and so anticipates through the suffering and death of Jesus the coming resurrection and hope of newness that will be celebrated in the Resurrection on Easter Sunday." (You can find the article here.)

Purple also aims to bring a feeling of simplicity to the season.

When a purple linen is draped over the cross, we are reminded of Christ's suffering on our behalf. In the last 26 days of Lent, consider wearing something purple. Do this as a sign of remembrance, much like the ashes we wore almost three weeks ago. Let seeing this color draw your mind back to the purpose of Lent - to draw nearer to God.

For more on color psychology, this website offers a brief overview of each color and how it impacts the human brain.

Acquire the Fire: Collide

Here are a few pictures from our weekend at Acquire the Fire. It was so good to see so many people gathered together for a weekend of spiritual renewal. We talked about areas of our life that needed restoration, and how only God can restore us.

Our group had a great time, and we're especially thankful for our gracious hosts at Trinity Baptist Church!

Enjoy!

To see more pictures, check out the Mount Zion facebook page.

Our Lenten Journey: Unleavened Bread

               

"Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’  This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand." Exodus 13:7-9

In the season of Lent, the church often celebrates communion with unleavened bread as a reminder of God's deliverance. During Passover, unleavened bread is used to remember when the Israelites fled Egypt. They were in such a hurry that they had to bake their bread without allowing the hours required to rise. This was to prove that God, not humanity, was responsible for their release from captivity.

Our release from captivity is a little different. We don't suffer from physical captivity, but we do suffer from slavery to sin and death (Romans 8:2). Eating normal, leavened bread (bread with yeast in it) during communion is mentioned in the Bible to represent thanksgiving to God (Leviticus 7:13). The term we sometimes use for communion is  Eucharist - which is a Greek word for thanksgiving.

Lent calls us to break the routine a little. By eating unleavened bread, not only do we remember the plight of God's chosen people, but we also remember God's deliverance is sometimes a difficult thing. We have to leave a life we've known and walk by faith. We have to endure deserts to see a Promised Land. We might even have to grab the bread before it rises because we don't have time to plan.


Try some unleavened bread this week and reflect on the times God has called you in a new direction. As you see and taste the difference, remember that God's plans and timing are perfect, even if we must endure some discomfort to see his promises fulfilled.

Our Lenten Journey: Ash Wednesday

Are you giving anything up for Lent? Are you a Friday vegetarian? Missing chocolate already? Maybe you're trying to get through the day without caffeine, or more difficult still, you're resisting the urge to check facebook.

Today marks the first day of Lent, a day in which many Christians will wear a cross of ashes upon their forehead. We use ashes as a reminder of our mortality, as God reminded Adam in Genesis 3:19, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Ashes also remind us of our need to repent and return to God. Formed in the sign of a cross, we are reminded of our sinfulness and Christ's salvation through his life, death, and resurrection.

So how does Ash Wednesday relate to giving up sweets?

It doesn't.

That's right. Our self-sacrifice means nothing unless it draws us closer to God. Giving up soda or fast food might be good for your waistline, it might create a noticeable absence, but if you're not reminded of Christ's sacrifice for us, it doesn't matter.

While Lent is about self-denial, it also about the spiritual practices of fasting and prayer. Everything we do in Lent should be pointing us back towards Christ. Ash Wednesday starts the season off with a visible reminder: Christ gave up his life so that we might live. When you see the mark of a cross of ashes upon someone's forehead, let it remind you to practice self-sacrifice for the sake of the cross.

Don't give up something for sake of giving it up. Lent isn't a test of your will; it isn't to see how well you resist temptation. Lent is a time of searching your heart and drawing closer to God. If giving something up is just because it's fun or because "everyone else is doing it," you've missed the point.

Let your sacrifice, whatever it is, remind you of what it would mean to give up everything.

If you receive ashes today, let it visibly mark forty days of spiritual reflection. Spend more time with God. Seek His will. Receive His grace.

Don't let this Lent be another season of empty ritual. If you give something up, do it for God.


For more information on Lent, try this article by the Upper Room: Lent 101

March Youth Events

March Youth Events:

Sunday, 3/6: Youth from 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Monday, 3/7: Youth Council Meeting from                   

7:00 – 8:00 PM.  We will discuss the Mission Trip and Race of Grace.

 Saturday, 3/12: Ole Fashion Supper. Come help from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

Sunday, 3/13: Youth from 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Praise Practice from 7:00 -8:00 PM. Money for the hockey game is due.

Friday, 3/18-Saturday, 3/19: ACQUIRE THE FIRE – We will leave the church at 4:15 PM on Friday afternoon, travel to Greensboro for the gathering and return Saturday night (Sunday morning) around midnight. The cost is $80.00 including deposit.

Sunday, 3/20: No Youth.

Saturday, 3/26: Raleigh District Youth Hockey Game & Tailgating. The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Tampa Bay Lightening at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Tailgating begins at 4:30 PM and the game starts at 7:00 PM.  Meet at the church at 3:30 PM and return around 11:00 PM. Tickets are $20.00 and must be paid by Sunday, March 13^th.

Sunday, 3/27: Praise Practice from 4:00 – 5:00 PM, Youth from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

Do You Suffer from MTD?

A recent project by the National Study of Youth and Religion shows that most of the church is no longer Christian. Instead, the church is turning into Moralistic Therapeutic Deists (MTD), and many don't know it's happening. MTD springs from the following psuedo-Christian beliefs:

     1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
     2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
     3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
     4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
     5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

While we may adamantly deny that we believe any of the following (though the first two beliefs are fairly consistent with Christian doctrine), our religious conversations might suggest otherwise. Let's be honest, wouldn't it be nice if our only goal in life was to feel good about ourselves? Christ suggests a different alternative in Matthew 22:36-40: 
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love is a difficult route, but it's our only hope from breaking free from the ego-centric watered down "Christianity" that is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

Here are couple thoughts to reflect upon while analyzing your own beliefs:
     1. MTD is person-centered. Christianity is God centered.
     2. MTD is about doing the right thing. Christianity is about knowing there’s no amount of right things that can save us.
     3. MTD is about being happy. Christianity is about becoming holy.
     4. MTD is about here and now. Christianity is about here and now and later and forever.
     5. MTD is about a distant but accessible God. Christianity is about God with us, and in us, and unavoidably around us.
     6. MTD is about pretending to be okay when its drowning. Christianity is about  desperately needing a savior.


For more information on Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, read Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith; Almost Christian:What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church  by Kenda Creasy Dean; or this article by the Christian Post:
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism--the New American Religion

Finding Faith in Toy Story

Last week we watched Toy Story together. After the movie we broke into groups and looked at some things that we can tie into our faith:

1. Even though we are all different, we are all important.
    

1 Corinthians 12:20, 27 “As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

2. Our fears of being replaced can be comforted through God's perfect love.

    

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

3. Our first impressions aren't always right.

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

4.  God loves us exactly as we are (so much so that it's like God's name is written on the bottom of our shoe):
    

1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

What To Do When Someone Is Suicidal

Our prayers are with West Johnston High School, as they mourn the death of one of their students. While this may leave some of us with unanswered questions, know that God is present and listening. I wanted to provide an article below from the Mayo Clinic that talks about steps to take if you know someone is considering suicide: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/suicide/MH00058
The Hopeline number is 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-783-2433 and they are available 24/7 to talk.
Also, you can talk with any of the pastors here at Mount Zion. We'd be more than willing to meet with you.

Suicide: What to do when someone is suicidal

When someone you know appears suicidal, you might not know what to do. Learn warning signs, what questions to ask and how to get help.

By Mayo Clinic staff

When someone says he or she is thinking about suicide, or says things that sound as though he or she is considering suicide, it can be very upsetting. You may not be sure what to do to help, whether you should take talk of suicide seriously, or if your intervention might make things worse. Taking action is always the best choice. Here's what to do.

Start by asking questions

The first step is to find out whether someone is in danger of acting on suicidal feelings. Be sensitive, but ask direct questions. Here are some things to ask:

• Are you thinking about suicide?
• Are you thinking about dying?
• Are you thinking about hurting yourself?
• Have you thought about how you would do it?
• Do you know when you would do it?
• Do you have the means to do it?
• How are you coping with what's been happening in your life?
• Do you ever feel like just giving up?

Asking about suicidal thoughts or feelings won't push someone into doing something self-destructive. In fact, offering an opportunity to talk about feelings may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings.

Look for warning signs

You can't always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide. But here are some common signs:

• Talking about suicide, including making remarks such as "I wish I were dead" or "I wish I hadn't been born"
• Getting things that could be used to commit suicide, such as getting a gun or stockpiling pills
• Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone
• Dramatic mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next
• Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence
• Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation
• Abusing alcohol or drugs
• Changing normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns
• Doing  risky or self-destructive things, such as using drugs or driving recklessly
• Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order
• Saying goodbye to people as if they won't be seen again
• Acting out of character, such as becoming very outgoing after having been shy

Get emergency help, if needed

If you believe someone is at risk of suicide (or has made a suicide attempt):

• Don't leave the person alone.
• Call 911 or your local emergency services provider right away. Or, if you think you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room yourself.
• Try to find out if he or she is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or may have taken an overdose.
• Tell a family member or friend right away what's going on.

If a friend or family member talks or behaves in a way that makes you believe that he or she might commit suicide, don't try to handle the situation without help. The most important step you can take is to get help from a trained professional as quickly as possible. The person may need to be hospitalized until the suicidal crisis has passed.

Teenagers: When someone you know is suicidal

If you're a teenager who's concerned that someone you know may be considering suicide, take action. Ask the person directly about his or her feelings, even though it may be awkward. Listen to what the person has to say, and take it seriously. Just talking to someone who really cares can make a big difference.
If you're still concerned about the person after talking with him or her, share your concerns with a teacher, guidance counselor, someone at church, someone at a local youth center or another responsible adult.
It may be hard to tell whether a friend or classmate is suicidal, and you may be afraid of taking action and being wrong. But if someone's acting in a way that makes you think he or she might be suicidal, the person may still need help — even if not considering suicide at the moment. If someone's behavior or what he or she said made you take notice, then the person is probably struggling with some major issues. You can help the person get needed help — even though he or she may not want to ask for it, or may not know where to turn.

Offer support

If a friend or loved one is thinking about suicide, he or she needs professional help, even if suicide isn't an immediate danger. Here's what you can do:

• Encourage the person to seek treatment. Someone who is suicidal or has severe depression may not have the energy or motivation to find help on his or her own. Many types of help and support are available to people considering suicide. If your friend or loved one doesn't want to consult a doctor or mental health provider, suggest finding help from a support group, crisis center, faith community, teacher or other trusted confidant. You can help by offering support and advice — but remember that it's not your job to become a substitute for a mental health provider.
• Offer to help the person take steps to get the assistance and support he or she needs. For example, you can research treatment options, make phone calls and review insurance benefit information.
• Encourage the person to communicate with you. Someone who's suicidal may be tempted to bottle up feelings because he or she feels ashamed, guilty or embarrassed. Be supportive and understanding, and express your opinions without placing blame. Listen attentively and avoid interrupting.
• Be respectful, and acknowledge the person's feelings. Don't try to talk the person out of his or her feelings or express shock. Remember, even though someone who's suicidal isn't thinking logically, his or her emotions are real. Not respecting how the person feels can shut down communication.
• Don't be patronizing or judgmental. For example, don't tell someone "things could be worse" or that "you have everything to live for." Instead, ask questions such as "What is causing you to feel so bad?" "What would make you feel better?" or "How can I help?"
• Never promise to keep someone's suicidal feelings a secret. Be understanding, but explain that you may not be able to keep such a promise if you think the person's life is in danger. At that point, you have to get help.
• Offer reassurance that things will get better. When someone's suicidal, it seems as if nothing will make things better. Reassure the person that these feelings are temporary, and that with appropriate treatment, he or she will feel better about life again.
• Encourage the person to avoid alcohol and drug use. Using drugs or alcohol may seem to ease the painful feelings, but ultimately it makes things worse — it can lead to reckless behavior or feeling more depressed. If the person can't quit on his or her own, offer to help find treatment.
• Remove potentially dangerous items from the person's home, if possible. If you can, make sure the person doesn't have things around that could be used to commit suicide — such as knives, razors, guns or medications. If the person takes a medication that could be used for overdose, encourage him or her to have someone safeguard it and give it to him or her as prescribed.

Take all signs of suicidal behavior seriously

If someone you know says he or she is thinking of suicide or is behaving in a way that makes you think the person may be suicidal, don't play it down or ignore the situation. Certainly, not everyone who has thoughts of suicide or talks about suicide actually attempts it. But many people who commit suicide have expressed the intention at some point. You may worry that you're overreacting, but the safety of your friend or loved one is most important. Don't worry about straining your relationship when someone's life is at stake.
You're not responsible for preventing someone from taking his or her own life — but your intervention may help him or her see that other options are available to stay safe and get treatment.

February Youth Schedule

Sunday, February 6th: Youth Fellowship Lunch from 12:30 - 1:30 PM in the Chapel.

Thursday, February 10th: Youth Council Meeting from 7:00 - 8:00 PM in the Middle School Room

Friday, February 11th: Valentine's Day Dinner Set-Up from 6:00 - 8:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Dinner Provided.

Saturday, February 12th: Valentine's Day Dinner from 4:00 - 8:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Dinner Provided.

Sunday, February 13th: Youth from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Sunday, February 20th: Youth from 5:00 - 7:00 PM - Finding Friends and Faith in Toy Story

Sunday, February 27th: Youth from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

BFF 2: Simple Ways to Make a Difference

We've spent the last couple weeks talking about friendship and hospitality. How we treat others communicates a lot about us - as individuals, a youth group, and Christians. If we are trying to follow the example of friendship provided to us by Jesus, we should be willing to make some changes.
Here are a couple simple things we can do to be more welcoming and friendly in our youth group:

1. Imagine yourself in someone else's shoes. How would you feel if you were at Mount Zion's youth group for the first time?
2. Be confident. This is your house - give your visitors a tour. Tell them the cool things about our youth group. Don't worry about whether or not our guests want to be talked to - you are here to make them feel at home!
3. Get excited. This is your opportunity to serve someone else. It's your opportunity to show others what you love.
4. If you invite someone to youth, hang out with them. Make them feel even more welcome than the last time they came if they've come before. (Don't forget to hang out with them if you didn't invite them, too!)
5.Be a good sport and play by the rules. If someone's new, they don't understand our group dynamics. Show them that we respect our teammates and our opponents during activities.
6. Smile. Mean it.
7. Ask more than one question. Remember our acronym: S.A.L.T.  Ask about School, Activities like clubs or teams, Likes/Leisure activites they do in their free time, then Take them to meet your friends.

Welcoming others isn't only about people who are setting foot at Mount Zion for the first time - it also includes breaking past our comfort zone and talking to people we don't know well. This might be talking to someone who hasn't been to youth in a long time or sitting with other youth group members you see every week.

Take some time and learn something new about someone in our youth group this week. My hope is that you'll find we're not so different from each other.

BFF: Being a Faithful Friend

We aren't friendly.
Hard to hear? Here are a couple questions we answered last night, see how well you do:

1. In the past month, we’ve had 6 visitors at youth. Name one:

 - Name the friend he/she came with:

 - Name where they went to school:

2. Name someone in the youth group you don’t go to school with and aren’t related to:

 - Name their favorite free-time activity:

3. Name a youth who goes to church who doesn’t go to youth:

 - Name the last time you invited them to youth:

4. Name someone at your school who doesn’t have a lot of friends:

 - Name the last time you talked to them outside of class:

My hope is that looking at these questions will get us to look at how we come off as Christians. Our youth group is nice to visitors, but being nice doesn't mean we're acing the hospitality test. Over the next couple weeks, we hope to face some of the challenges we have to be a more welcoming group. Not because we think we're awesome, but because how we treat outsiders says a lot about our faith.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus explains that when we show hospitality to someone, we do the same to him: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ " Also, if we are to be like Christ in our behavior, when we don't welcome others, we're communicating that Christ doesn't welcome them either.

When we stick to our friends and comfort zone, we inadvertently make others feel excluded. Imagine how you would feel in the same situation! It's not that we're mean to our visitors or the strangers we meet; it's that we're not taking the extra step to make them feel like part of the group. It's not just about noticing a new face, it's about inviting them into our world in a way that makes them want to experience it again.

We watched Matthew West's video  - "My Own Little World" as a reminder that there's a bigger picture, a purpose, outside our own little world.

Acquire the Fire

On March 18th & 19th, Mount Zion Youth will travel to Greensboro for Acquire the Fire.

What exactly is Acquire the Fire? It is a weekend centered around growing closer to Christ. It is a weekend where we will rediscover what we've known all along: we are broken and in need of a savior. It's a time where we will worship together. It's an opportunity to be real- with ourselves and God.

Come with us. Find a way.


Acquire the Fire - the website.


Worship led by Unhindered- one of the bands at ATF this year.




Sign up in the fellowship hall.

Upcoming January Events for Mount Zion Youth

Sunday, January 16: Youth from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Monday, January 17th: Rescheduled Youth Council Meeting from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM, in the Middle School classroom (across from the kitchen)

Sunday, January 23rd: Youth Soup and Potato Lunch - after the 11:00 AM service until about 2:00 PM.
 Also, Youth from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Sunday, January 30th: Youth from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Youth Mission Fair

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Youth Mission Fair! We packaged 20,000 meals to be distributed to hungry people around the world. That's like feeding the entire city of Clayton twice! Great job everyone.