Upper Room Student Ministry

Rally Tonight

2012-01-18T09:35:00.001-08:00

Reality Weekend 2012 is here!!! We will rally tonight in Selph Hall at 7:00 PM. Don't miss out on a time of worship and prayer before the weekend gets here. We will also unveil host homes and give away your t-shirt and RW12 wristband that you must wear the entire weekend! Get pumped...it's here!

Reality Weekend 2012

2012-01-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

It's ALMOST here!!! RW2012 registration deadline is THIS Wednesday. Make sure you get your registration packet in so you can be a part of an incredible weekend. Ed Newton will be our preacher for the weekend and Kristian Stanfill will be leading worship. Be praying for God to move in a powerful way!

Speedy Santa 5k

2011-12-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who was a part of our 1st Annual Speedy Santa 5k! We had right at 140 runners/walkers and raised almost $2800 for student missions! Check out some of the pics below.....

Fall Retreat Deadline/Speedy Santa 5k/The Shanes & Phil Wickham

2011-10-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wow....the next month or so is going to be so much fun....just wanted to update you on a few things....

FALL RETREAT
The deadline is THIS Wednesday night!! Don't miss out on this incredible weekend! It's going to be such a good time away to focus on our relationship with God and each other. Let me know if you have any questions at all!

SPEEDY SANTA 5K

Our first ever 5k to support student missions will be Saturday, December 3rd! It is going to be a fun day. We want any and all runners, walkers, run/walkers, crawlers to come and be a part. You don't have to be a marathon runner to participate. click here to go to the FBC website and download a registration form! Get your registration in ASAP as there is a price break for early birds!!

Shane & Shane and Phil Wickham

Do not miss out on this incredible celebration of Christmas at FBC with Shane & Shane and Phil Wickham. It's going down on Saturday, December 17th at 7:00 PM. Tickets are only $10 before the concert and $15 day of the concert. You can purchase them in the church office, or you can grab them off of www.itickets.com!

FALL RETREAT 2011

2011-09-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

November 4-6 will be here before you know it! I hope you will join us in praying for these 3 days away at Pine Cove Camp in Tyler, Texas. Be praying for God's Spirit to set souls free....be praying for a spirit of revival and renewal...be praying that God would call prodigals home during this time away!

We are in need of scholarship help! If you would like to invest into the life of a student please hit me up with an e-mail and we can talk about what is needed! Looking forward to Fall Retreat 2011!!

IMPACT last week

2011-09-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday night we had an incredible night of worship as we heard testimonies from students and had the blessing of baptizing 2 students. Just wanted to share some pics of the night! To Him be the glory!!

Testimony/Baptism Night

2011-08-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, September 7th will be a special night in the UR as we highlight several different students' faith stories. It will be an incredible night of hearing the story of God written on the hearts of different students. We will also be baptizing students who have made Christ the Lord of their lives and now want to proclaim that through baptism! Do not miss out on this special night of worship together!

Rookie Day

2011-08-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we welcomed 33 new 8th graders into our Junior High/Senior High Ministry by having Rookie Day. This is something we kicked off last year to help make the transition from our Middle School Ministry a little bit easier.

The students were broken down into teams led by some of our awesome Senior High students. We kicked off the day by competing in an intense game of bowling @ Enterprise Lanes. Emily & Olivia's team came out on top and earned an extra $10 gift card to our next stop...Playtime Pizza! We spent some time eating together, winning tickets together, and just hanging out together!

We finished the day by coming to the Upper Room and enjoying some homemade desserts and letting our Senior High students share about what all happens in our JH/SH ministry. It was a great day and we had a ton of fun getting to know our Rookies!! Looking forward to a great year of ministry. Below you will see our teams and a pic of my adult volunteers. I get the blessing of serving with the best volunteers in the world....top notch!

It's A New Year

2011-08-12T12:29:00.001-07:00

Hey gang!!

I hope you are as excited about a new year of life and ministry as I am. We have had an incredible summer, as we experienced the blessing of seeing God work and move in us and through us. From an incredible night of camp on Choir Tour where the Holy Spirit moved in freedom and power to life changing moments of service in the streets of New York City, to intimate times of worship at Student Life Camp. It has been a good summer.

However, we must not simply dwell ONLY on what God has done, but we must anticipate what He wants to do NOW and in the COMING days. I believe that God is about to do some incredible things in our church and specifically our Student Ministry in the coming days!

We will kick off a new year of IMPACT THIS Wednesday night, August 17th! I hope that you will be intentional about inviting your friends who do not have a relationship with Jesus to come and experience love and truth! We have a lot of stuff planned on a calendar, but if we do not plead for the Spirit to come and move that's all they are...merely stuff on a calendar. So....join me in praying for God to move in our church, to save the lost, and if it His will...send revival in our church and community!

May we be a people of ANTICIPATION! Love yall!

Clay

Beach Camp Update

2011-07-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

What an incredible couple of days we have had at camp so far. After a great trip down on Saturday we settled into our condos for the week. Great condos with an incredible view of God's creation everyday!!

Saturday night David preached out of Matthew 4 as Jesus called out the first disciples. The theme this week is "Devoted" so David talked about what it takes to become a follower of Jesus. Sunday morning we looked at Matthew 5 and the relationship between Jesus and His Father. David made the statement that devotion to Christ as Lord means to delight in God as Father. We talked about the importance for us to understand the nature and relationship that we have as God being our Heavenly Father and how that brings sovereignty, love, forgiveness, and favor upon us! Last night David preached the clearest and most powerful sermon on the Gospel I have ever heard! Powerful! We had great conversations in small groups and looking forward to even more today!

The weather has been great and the waves are beautiful! Continue praying! Click here to see some pictures of the week so far!

We are HOME!!!...for a bit

2011-07-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a week at The Bowery! God definitely has His hand of blessing on an incredible group of guys and ministry. Our experience at The Bowery was an amazing one as we served, worshiped, and were ministered to by such an outstanding group of men who are seeking the Lord whole heartedly!

We flew home tonight...after a delay at the airport...we finally made it in at 11:00 PM tonight....we start our journey to Orange Beach in just a couple of hours. Be praying for God to do a great work in and through our 60 students and adults who will be going! We will be worshiping with David Platte, Tony Merida, and Aaron Keyes this week. I am definitely looking forward to a sweet time of renewal with the Lord and our students.

Be checking back daily this week for updates of pictures throughout the week! You can also check out www.studentlife.com for more information about their ministry! God is so good!!

Click here for all of my pictures from our Bowery Experience!

clay

Mid-Week Update from The Bowery

2011-07-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Man has it been a great week so far! Between getting up at 6 am, serving around 200 people every meal (600 meals a day!), painting, cleaning walls, mopping, taking out trash, leading chapel services, unloading donation trucks, building relationships with the students (those going through the program at the Bowery), sweeping, and so much more, there is no doubt that God alone is providing us the strength to serve Him so that He alone is glorified.

One of the opportunities we have had is to help serve at what is called "Outreach Ministry." Here, we helped load an entire box truck full of everything from fruits and vegetables, to sweets and soup. We took the truck to two different parks (one each day), then set up an assembly line so people in the surrounding community could come through and fill up a bag full of food or grab a bowl of hot soup and some water. This was such an incredible opportunity to not only meet the needs of so many people, but we were also able to share the joy Christ has given us to some people who really needed it.

God is not only doing some great things through us, but he is changing our hearts at the same time. Each night as we are winding down, we have been able to share story after story of what God is showing our students through their service and the relationships they are building with these men. What an encouraging thing it has been (and will continue to be!) to see students reaching beyond the material nature of this world and finding their fulfillment and joy in something as rich as the love of Christ.

Continue to pray that God would reveal himself not only through us but also in us, and that he would continually be glorified by the strength he is giving us to serve His people.

Click here to see more pictures from this week!

Bowery Update

2011-07-04T19:09:00.001-07:00

Hello friends!

Apologies for not blogging sooner, but it has been a super busy day for us here in NYC! I want to begin by telling you what an exceptional group of students I have the privilege of working with! They have been simply amazing!

Saturday was a long, but fun day! Our flight into NYC was great and we had an uneventful transfer to The Bowery. After hugging old friends we settled into our bunks and ate lunch with the residents. Saturday afternoon found us exploring SOHO and a couple of folks catching a quick nap. We then grabbed dinner at one of our favorite spots for dinner.....Soho Park.....great spot! We then bought our subway passes and headed up to Times Square for some quality time with a million other folks. It was fun to watch our NYC first timers see the lights of Times Square.

Sunday morning we grabbed breakfast and then rode to The Brooklyn Tabernacle for worship. What an amazing worship experience! God did a great work in us as we met with Him! After a late lunch we strolled thru Central Park for a bit before heading back to The Bowery. We served dinner last night to the community and began building relationships with the people. Ended the night with a memorable pizza experience at Sals Pizza. Great NY pizza!

Today has been such a great day! Our students engaged in a variety of different projects. Some picked up food at different restaurants that had been donated, some cooked, everybody served lots of food, some led in chapel services, some initiated fruitful conversations....all in all everyone worked to build The Kingdom! Beau preached a great sermon on our freedom in Christ from Galatians 5 in chapel today. Great word! The night has ended with the great NYC fireworks spectacular. Nice way to spend 7/4!

Continue to pray for our group. Pray for intentional conversations, open doors to share the Gospel, and lots of boldness. You can click here to check out pics!

Clay

New York

2011-06-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we leave for New York bright and early! Our team is very excited to see what God will do in us and through us this coming week! We will be working at The Bowery Mission (http://www.bowery.org)

The Bowery serves the homeless and the hungry of New York. We will be helping with chapel services, serving meals, helping out with needs at The Bowery, and most of all sharing the love of God with the broken. Each day we will wake up early, go to chapel, serve breakfast, work at The Bowery, go to chapel, serve lunch, work at The Bowery, go to chapel, serve dinner, and then have some time to relax and go on runs to get ice cream or Whole Foods down the street! Last year we did a lot of sorting food into crates. All the food The Bowery serves is donated, and it comes in by the truck loads! Each day an outreach truck goes, and some of our group will get to go. On an outreach trip, food is taken to parks or neighborhoods around New York and people literally line up and walk down the line receiving food. Outreach is a favorite of many veterans to the Bowery.

On Sunday we will go to worship at the Brooklyn Tabernacle and have lunch in Time Square. Thursday night we are going out to eat and to see the Sister Act on broadway and have Juniors Cheesecake for dessert! Our last day will be a sightseeing day! We are going to the Top of the Rock, Union Station, on a NBC Studio tour, and on a speedboat ride on the Hudson River! It will be a busy day before we head home that night.

Please be in prayer for our trip! Pray specifically for the people we will come in contact with, that we will be a loving light of the Lord. Pray that we will have a heart full of compassion for the people there and be willing to serve no matter what, even when it takes us out of our comfort zones.

Choir Tour Wrap Up

2011-06-19T20:42:00.001-07:00

Well....tonight was an incredible end to an amazing Choir Tour. Thanks to so many of you who came to our Homecoming Concert.

God was so faithful to move in the hearts of students and adults while at camp at the end of tour. We took time to dissect Psalm 63.1-5 and spent some intimate times of worship with the Father together. Jarrett did an awesome job of leading worship for us!

Thanks to all of our adult sponsors who made the week such a success! Thanks for volunteering your time, energy, money, and love for the glory of the Father! May God continue to be glorified through the ministry of Pure Energy!

Sanctuary!

2011-06-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day as we completed Day 4! We began by singing at The Lenbrook Community. We had a great time singing to the Lord and encouraging some of the folks there. Our time of worship was also broadcast to over 300 of their shut in residents as well! After a lunch break/mall stop at Lenox Mall we headed to our Concert To God.

This has become a favorite moment for a lot of our students. After our time at the mall everyone got on the bus and did not speak a word. We traveled throughout the Buckhead area of Atlanta and went to Peachtree Christian Church. We quietly entered their BEAUTIFUL sanctuary and spent some time in silence before we met with the Lord in a powerful powerful way! It was an intense time of worship to the Father!

After a quick stop at the hotel we grabbed some dinner and went to Stone Mountain Park. God has blessed us with incredible weather this week and tonight was a perfect night as we enjoyed the laser light show on the mountain face! Great time.

Keep praying for the Spirit to move....especially as we head to camp tomorrow night!

Click here to see pictures of today!

cc

Rafting, Rescuing, Rejoicing

2011-06-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well....today has been an epic choir tour day that our students are still buzzing about tonight! After a great night of sleep in the dorms we woke up to some scrumptious cereal bars, milk, and juice for breakfast. We then spent some time together just encouraging each other with what God has taught us so far and sharing different Scriptures that have encouraged us. It was a great time of sharing before we loaded the bus for the Ocoee!

We had 2 different groups that hit the river in the afternoon. Check out the pics below, but it was a daunting sight seeing 55 people filing out of a bus grabbing their big life boats and slipping into the river Many of our folks were white water rafting rookies, and I'm pretty sure everyone of them absolutely loved it! We did have a lot of students, and some adults tip out of their raft, but as you can tell from the title of this blogpost....all were rescued. It was funny to hear students describing how 'they saved' a fellow student!! It was a great time and we had absolutely PERFECT weather! After a great hamburger/hot dog cook out we boarded the buses and are now in Atlanta!!

Tomorrow will be a busy day as we will be singing in a retirement community in the morning, grabbing lunch at Lennox Mall, engaging in our Concert For God before enjoying Stone Mountain at night! Thanks for so many of you praying fervently for us! God is teaching us great things about Himself and ourselves as well!

Click here to check out pics from today.

Day 2 Comes To An End!

2011-06-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

What a great day as we celebrated the greatness and goodness of God in Naashville this morning and Chattanoog tonight! We had the blessing of worshiping with Highland Park BC in Chattanooga. What incredible hosts they were tonight! From the time we got off the bus until they put us in our dorm rooms tonight they were so hospitable and it was an incredible night of worship. The sound from the choir may be the best I've ever heard. "The Power of The Cross" was incredible tonight. You could sense the Spirit in a powerful powerful way.

After our concert Tennessee Temple University which is closely related to HPBC treated us to pizza and homemade desserts. Everyone was excited about not eating a meal at a mall. Tomorrow will be a fun day as we head down to Ocoee to whitewater raft! We are going to get a little sleep as well! We are excited!!

Click here to check out pictures from today!

Sunday Morning @ Tusculum Hills

2011-06-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hope this note finds everyone doing well! We've had a busy day already and we are on the road headed to Chattanooga. We worshiped with Tusculum Hills BC this morning. What a gracious church and what a great time of worship. Our students did a great job and we heard a great sermon on Genesis 20 on remaining faithful to the Lord.

After lunch at yet another mall we are now on the road to Chattanooga where we will worship with Highland Park Baptist Church. We will be spending the night there in the dorms of Tennessee Temple University. Pray for the Spirit to move mightiy tonight!

Clay

What A Day!!

2011-06-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well...I should have been asleep a long, but I just wanted to catch you up on the rest of the afternoon. After lunch in Memphis we jaunted over to Nashville where we kicked off our time at The Opryland Hotel and explored all of its' beauty this afternoon, and we managed to fit a quick dinner in as well!

We then strolled over to The Opry and sang for a good sized group of folks, and had the opportunity to encourage and be encouraged by folks from all over the country. It was a cool experience. We then received a country music inservice by Little Jimmy Dickens, Roy Clark, Mel Tellis, Charley Pride, Diamond Rio, and so many others. It was a lot of fun!

We are in the hotel now and about to be asleep. Tomorrow is a big day!!

Click here for more pics!

Grace and Peace!

Clay

And....We Are Off!!

2011-06-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Choir Tour 2011 has kicked off! We just fiinished up lunch at the Wolfchase Galleria in Memphis, and we are headed to Nashville, Tennessee. This afternoon we will grab an early dinner at the Opryland Hotel before walking over to The Grand Ole Opry. We will sing outside the Opry tonight. Pray as folks stop and listen that we will have the opportunity to encourage folks. We will then head into the Opry for the show. A long day ends later tonight before a big day tomorrow!! Thanks for your prayers! Feel free to leave a comment for you child/grandchild/friend/etc..... on the blog. Click here to check out pics!

Choir Tour 2011!!

2011-06-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours we will be boarding buses, loading luggage, and heading out for an incredible week of worship, Bible study, fellowship, and memories. God has used Choir Tour for a long time to create spiritual markers in the lives of students and adults. We have been praying as a leadership team for that to happen again this week!

Thanks to Angela White and Becky McGuire for their tireless effort in making this week happen. Angela is doing an incredible job leading our students in not performing concerts, but honoring our King through praise and worship. Lots and lots of folks have no clue about the amount of work that Becky, or BMAC, does behind the scenes to make Choir Tour happen. Take an opportunity to let these 2 ladies know how much you appreciate them!

We will be updating this blog with pictures, stories, and testimonies throughout the week! Be praying for God to move in the lives of students and adults. To Him be the glory!!

Summer is Here

2011-05-31T05:37:00.001-07:00

Summer is here, and we are so excited about what all God is going to do in the lives of students as we worship, serve, and make much of Him! Make sure you check out what all is going on this summer in the calendar to the right of this post! Feel free to e-mail me at clay.cunningham@fbcbenton.org with any questions that you might have!

SPRING FLING

2011-05-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday night is our last IMPACT for the semester, but we will go out with a bang!! We will meet from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM this Wednesday night in the back parking lot for a little cook out, and some crazy inflatables. The crazy obstacle course will return along with some bouncy boxing and the always popular mechanical bull. Bring a friend with you and celebrate a fun night together!!! Bring a dessert with you if you can!

Good Friday

2011-04-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

what a great Palm Sunday at FBC Benton, and excited about Passion week as we look forward to Easter next Sunday. this Friday we are calling our folks together for a different service as we have our first ever Good Friday Worship at 7:00 PM in Selph Hall. it will be a very contemplative service that will focus on the cross and Jesus' work there. we will read a lot of Scripture, Jarrett Davis will be leading worship, and we will do Communion together. childcare is available for children birth to 3 years old. make plans for you and your family to be part of this incredible time together!!

What a week....

2011-03-29T06:21:00.001-07:00

well...we made it back home to Arkansas after an incredible week of life and ministry in Alaska....God had such a different plan in store for us than we did...just like HIM! it was so fun to keep in step with what He wanted for us instead of what we had 'envisioned'....He is good like that.

we had the blessing to work with scott, jerry, melissa, billy, and geri on the field in Alaska and they took GREAT care of us. we really fell in love with jerry, melissa, billy, and geri and their love for the village that we had the privilege of serving. these 2 retired couples have done anything but retire as they are serving this village and the people of Alaska with all they have. what an encouragement.

obviously from the pictures you can see the glory of God showing off everywhere we turned in this great land. what spectacular sites of God's power and splendor. thank you for these glimpses Father of your greatness!

here are some links to our facebook pictures for more glimpses into our week. thanks for being prayer warriors on our behalf. to God be the glory!

Day 2

Day 6

Team Alaska Update

2011-03-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

sorry it's been a few days since we have been able to update. we left tuesday morning to head to the village that we have been ministering in for the past few days. it has been an incredible journey as God totally took us out of our comfort zone to see things and do things that we most likely never imagined doing when we boarded the plane Sunday afternoon.. seeing how He wanted to use us in His ways and His time has been interesting to say the least! the people of the village were so gracious and accepting of us. they were a joy to be with as we had the opportunity to minister through serving and worshiping with them! we will try to get some more pics up tomorrow. pray for us as we prepare to travel back home tomorrow evening!

Team Alaska Day One

2011-03-21T22:12:00.001-07:00

Today has been a great day as we got some incredible sleep after a long day of flights! We were awakened by a home cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits! After a time of orientation we headed out for a day of sightseeing. What a blessing to be able to enjoy the glory of God through experiencing His creation. We got to see some incredible snow capped mountains, glaciers, and animals. We also spent some time sliding on an ice covered lake and sliding down some hills. During all this time we were surrounded by the beauty of God's creation. Pray for safety as we travel and for the Gospel to go forward and for His Kingdom to be extended. Click to see pics of Day One! We will not have internet for a few days so our next update my not happen until Friday. Tanner says to tell his momma hi! :)

Click here to see pics of Day One

We Are Here

2011-03-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hello from Anchorage....
It is 1:11 AM here in Anchorage and I think I am a few hours away from being up 24 hours straight! We have made it to Alaska and everybody is doing great! All of our flights went well and we are settling in now for the evening. Looking forward to a great day tomorrow as our schedule has changed a little bit. We will be doing sightseeing tomorrow and heading to out from Anchorage on Tuesday morning. Thanks for your prayers as we continue to seek what God has for us during these days! Much love from the great Northwest!

Team Alaska

2011-03-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm wide awake in expectation of what God is going to do with this team of students and adults as we travel to share about the greatness and goodness of God. Be praying for safety as we travel and for openness to the Gospel. Can't wait to see the glory of the Father in a distant land!

Youth Evangelism Conference

2011-03-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Youth Evangelism Conference is coming soon!! Don't miss out on an incredible conference in LR that we will be taking Middle School through High School students to. Wade Morris & Wes Hamilton will be preaching and Brenton Brown and The Afters will be leading worship. The cost is only $25 and your registration pack is due by Wednesday, March 30th!

EVENING WITH THE STARS

2011-03-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

Our 5th Annual Evening With The Stars takes place THIS Sunday night! It is going to be an incredible evening of entertainment as Carrie Underwood, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Sarah Bareilles, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash, Michael Buble, and a host of others. Admission is only $5 and we will be collecting donations for Team Alaska's mission trip over Spring Break! Don't miss out on Evening With The Stars THIS Sunday night at 7:00 PM in Selph Hall!

ICE OUT!!

2011-02-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that ICE OUT forms are due TONIGHT!! You MUST have your blue insurance form and a $15 check turned in tonight to be able to head out with us THIS Sunday night at 7:00 PM! It's going to be a blast!!

NO IMPACT

2011-02-08T12:29:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately we will not have IMPACT tomorrow night, February 8th because of the cancellation of school at Benton Public Schools. We will see you Sunday!

Merry February

2011-02-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Hey Gang!

THIS Sunday night is our Super Bowl Party in the Upper Room right after Pure Energy. We will have a TON of food, ping pong tournament, pool matches, and games of NERTS!! Don't miss out and invite a friend to come with you!

Also...don't forget to sign up for ICE OUT, which is going down Sunday night, February 20th. You must be registered by Wednesday night, February 16th. The cost is $15 and you MUST have a blue insurance form signed by your parent/guardian!

Team Alaska will meet at noon THIS Sunday, February 6th in the Upper Room for an informational meeting and lunch!

Baptism Night

2010-12-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday night at IMPACT we observed the ordinance of baptism together. It was an incredible night as 7 Junior High and High School students shared their testimony and were obedient to the calling of Christ to be baptized. Click here to check out pictures of the incredible night!

Advent Conspiracy Promo Video

2010-12-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

Last night we challenged students to join the story and be a part of the Advent Conspiracy. The video explains more...

Students were given an opportunity to voluntarily select a card with a gift to purchase for various organizations (toys for the Dorcas House, baby items for New Beginnings, games for Our House or chickens, milk and other oversea needs for Samaritan's Purse). They were then encouraged to take those cards home to a parent or grandparent or any one who normally buys them a present for Christmas and ask to receive one less gift this year. And in place of that one gift to have their help purchasing a gift for someone else.

Students will have 2 weeks to gather their gift(s) and bring them December 15 where together we will present our gifts as an offering and worship the coming of Christ together!

Did you know it's estimated that Americans spend 450 billion dollars at Christmas every year?And it's been estimated that we could rid the world's problem of clean water for about 10 billion. One person can't do it alone...but one person can make a difference. Together we're joining a movement across America to change the way Christmas is being done. It's less about me...and what I want. And it's more about Christ...and the sacrifice that He showed us:

Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All

Questions about the Advent Conspiracy? You can visit their website at www.adventconspiracy.org.

Student miss last night? Want to be involved in the Conspiracy at FBC but not sure how? Or just need questions answered about the Conspiracy? You can contact us at (501) 778 2271 or by emailing me at clay.cunningham@fbcbenton.org.

Merry Christmas!

Fall Retreat 2010

2010-10-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hey gang!

Fall Retreat 2010 is right around the corner. November 5-7 are the dates and we will be headed back to The Shores @ Pine Cove Camp in Tyler, Texas! Bill Elliff, pastor of The Summit Church, in Little Rock will be preaching and The Jarrett Davis Band will be leading in worship.

Registration will kick off Wednesday, October 6! Registration packets are in the Upper Room and the Student Ministry Offices. Deadline to register is October 27.

Click here to check out the 1st Fall Retreat Promo video!

Mission Arlington

2010-06-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

We've been at Mission Arlington all week, doing VBS in apartment complexes. God is doing great things in these kids! Thursday will be our last day. Pray for our groups to have patience with the kids and boldness to speak Gods truth. Pray that after we leave, that the seed we've planted will continue to grow and the kids will not forget the things they learned this week.

Here are a few pictures! Thursday after VBS we are all going to dinner together and Friday we'll spend the day at Hurricane Harbor and head home. Pray for safe travel! Miss you all at home!

Choir Tour: Last Day

2010-06-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today was a relaxing day! We worshipped together and two of our students gave their lives over to Christ! It was an awesome morning, praise God!

This afternoon was free time. Unfortunately the weather kept us from swimming outside. Then tonight we went on our dinner cruise! It was a tight squeeze to get us on the boat, but we did it! The lake was beautiful!

After the cruise we headed back to our rooms for a bit and went to worship. Tonight was a powerful night. God's presence was definitely felt! It's hard to put into words just how amazing it was. Praise God!

After worship we all gathered together and played A Minute to Win it! One representative from each grade played. Jacob Parsons came in first and won a giant package of bouncy balls!

All week every person on the trip had what is called a secret pal. Everyone was responsible for doing nice things and getting their secret pals little gifts throughout the trip. Tonight we all revealed who are secret pals were. It was a fun time!

Tomorrow we head home! It will be bitter sweet. We've been gone from home a week now, so I'm sure everyone is a little home sick, and we are all getting tired! But it will be sad that choir tour 2010 is over. This has been an incredible trip. We have really seen God move in mighty ways. Thank you to everyone back home for the prayer support during and the months leading up to choir tour. The prayers were felt and were definitely appreciated. Please pray for our safety returning home tomorrow. Also pray that the things we learned on this trip will be applied to our lives when we get back home. Not just for a week, but for a lifetime.

2010-06-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay! Here are some pictures from the Royals game we went to Saturday night.

Sunday morning we woke up early and headed to First Baptist Church in Raytown, Missouri. We got to hear their choir sing, and we also sang in the service. Visiting their church was a great experience. Then we headed back out on the road for a hour or two and stopped at yet another mall for lunch time! Then it was back on the road to Sedalia for another concert at a smaller church. They were very kind and fed us some amazing tacos! It was our last concert, before the homecoming concert.

Then we headed out to Tan-Tar-A Resort for camp! Last night after we arrived we got settled in and then had Senior Night! It was a great time reflecting over the seniors' years with us. This morning we woke up a little later, (got to sleep in!) and had worship together. This afternoon seniors went out for senior lunch, some students just hung out around the resort and swam, and some went to the outlet mall here in Osage Beach. Tonight we have dinner here at the resort, worship, the talent show, and swimming at the indoor water park here. It will be a fun filled night!

Pray for the rest of our time here at camp. For fruitful conversations and the presence of the Lord to be felt while we are at worship. Thanks for all the prayer support back home, it is definitely felt here!

Choir Tour: Saturday

2010-06-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun filled day! First we went to the Country Club Christian Church for our concert with God. It was a great time of worship! And it didn't hurt that the church was beautiful! There were stained glass windows everywhere!

Then we headed to lunch and some shopping at the Crown Center. A lot of the students ate at the Crayola Cafe where you could color while you ate!

After lunch we went to The Bickford House, another retirement center for a concert. The people there really enjoyed it, and we enjoyed visiting with them!

That afternoon we had free time to either shop or hang out at the hotel and nap or swim! We left for the Royals game after that. It was our lucky night: FREE BOBBLE HEAD NIGHT!!!!! Even though the Royals lost, the game was still a blast! Some of the group got on the big screen! Pictures from the Royals game to come next post!

Tomorrow will be an early start and a full day where we will end up at camp. Pray for safe travel and a fruitful time at camp! We miss you Benton.

Choir Tour Day 3

2010-06-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Friday was a great day of fun! The City Museum was probably one of the coolest places on earth! Everyone had a blast!

Here is a magnet wall...we left our mark!

Spontaneous concert in the middle of the museum:

Here's a group going down the roof top slide. Kathy King went down at least twenty times! She loved it...

There were plenty of places to crawl around in:

Some students hanging out waiting for lunch!

After the City Museum we headed to Kansas City. There we hung out at a shopping mall for a few hours and then headed to the hotel, where we will be for two nights. Saturday will be a fun day! In the morning we will have our concert with God. Pray that hearts will be in the right place and that the presence of God will be felt. Then we will head to another retirement center for a concert, and back to the hotel for an afternoon of naps, hang out time, or shopping. In the evening we'll head to the Kansas City Royals game! Hey, it's no Cardinals, but it will still be fun!

We miss you all back home! Be praying for our last few concerts. Also pray that we remember why we are on this trip and we act in a way that shows that at all times. Pray that our lights shine everywhere we go.

Day Two

2010-06-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! Here are some pictures of the trip so far! Here is a picture recap from day one:

Some of the boys at the chruch getting ready to leave:

First stop, Marion Baptist Church:

Next stop, St. Louis:

From our hotel we have a great view of the Arch and Busch Stadium!

Next stop, Lake St. Charles Retirement Center...here's the parking lot:

After the concert, we got a chance to mingle with the folks at the retirement center.

After the concert at the retirement center, we spent two hours at the Nascar Speedpark, driving go-carts, rock climbing, playing laser tag, and putt putt! It was a blast!

This morning we ate a great breakfast at the hotel, and are about to be off for the City Museum, and then a long bus ride to Kansas City!

Hope you all are doing well! We are having a great time, but miss you all!

Choir Tour....Day One

2010-06-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hey friends....

Choir Tour 2010...Day One....Success! What a great first day of Tour '10 as we were sent off from FBC Benton with so much support from family and friends! Our trip to Marion was smooth as our bus drivers, Robert and Louis, are taking good care of us. This is their 4th and 3rd tours, respectively, to drive us on. They are great!

FBC Marion is a growing church which has a strong emphasis in music and missions, especially with children and youth. It was a joy to have the opportunity to worship with them. Their worship pastor, Lee Barnett, and student pastor, Michael Lusk, were great to work with and made us feel right at home. After a light dinner together we geared up in our concert uniforms and prepared our hearts for worship. The students did an INCREDIBLE job! You could sense God's presence in a powerful way. "Shut de Door" was a crowd favorite as well as the last song of the evening, "Thou Oh Lord". After our time of worship together we had the opportunity to share some fellowship time with the students of FBC Marion in their gym and over some pizza!

We had a great nights sleep tonight and are ready to hit the road to St. Louis this morning. Tonight we will be singing at a retirement village in St. Charles, MO. Be praying for God to continue to reveal Himself to us as we seek Him. Pray specifically for conversations that our adult volunteers have as we seek to encourage students in their faith journey! Thanks for supporting, loving, and praying for Pure Energy during Choir Tour 2010.

cc

Summer Is Almost Here

2010-05-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang....
Summer is almost here, and I'm pumped about all that is going in our church! The summer days are active ones for our Student Ministry. We will work hard to keep you updated on what God is doing on Choir Tour, Mission Trips, and other goings on as we update this blogsite! Feel free to leave encouraging comments and prayers on the comment section! Here is a list of weeks that we will be out this summer. Be praying that these are not just 'trips', but times where we meet with the Lord and have opportunities to proclaim Him!

June 2-9 Choir Tour 2010 (Memphis/St. Louis/Kansas City)
June 14-18 VBS
June 20-25 Mission Arlington
June 27-July 5 Senior High Mission Trip to The Bowery in NYC
July 12-20 Senior High Mission Trip to Cajamarca, Peru

BREAKAWAY 2010

2010-03-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well Breakaway 2010 has come and gone, but the fruit from the week will last for eternity! God did some incredible things in our lives! Big THANKS go to Stephen Ray & Blake Ligon for leading us in worship all week! They did an amazing job! Click here to see pictures from the week! To God be the glory!

BREAKAWAY REGISTRATION KICKS OFF TONIGHT!

2010-01-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

hey gang! sorry for the delay in posts! just a reminder that kick off for BREAKAWAY 2010 will kick off tonight! $75 will hold your spot for our annual Spring Break Beach Camp that will take us back to Orange Beach, Alabama for an incredible week of worship, Bible Study and fellowship. registration forms are available in the Student Ministry Offices and the Upper Room! Blake Ligon from Memphis, TN and Stephen Ray from Houston, TX will be leading our times of worship! it's going to be an awesome experience together. the total cost is $290 and there are some partial scholarships available...all you need to do is talk to Clay! don't miss out!

Camp Speaker

Blake Ligon

Camp Worship Leader:

Stephen Ray

Summer Missions Deposits

2009-12-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

hey folks!

just a reminder that you can reserve your spot on one of our 2 summer mission trips now. a deposit of $50 will hold your spot for either mission trip. be praying for God to give you discernment concerning where you should serve next summer! contact me with any questions!

Senior High Mission Trip Interest Meeting

2009-11-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

hey gang!

just a reminder that our Senior High Mission Trip Interest Meeting is THIS Sunday night, November 22, in the Worship Center immediately after our time of worship. if you feel like God may be calling you out to participate in either our New York City team or our Cajamarca, Peru team then please come and get some information! let me know if you have any questions!

Fall Retreat 2009 Pictures

2009-11-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

Fall Retreat 2009 was an incredible weekend as we spent some time away at Pine Cove Camp in Tyler, Texas! God did some great stuff in the lives of a lot of teenagers. Check out these pics from our Intern Kendall's camera..... click here for pics.

Fall Retreat Is Here!

2009-11-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

hey gang!

well...we had an INCREDIBLE rally tonight and we are pumped about FR09 this weekend. be praying for God to do a great work in us this weekend as focus in on His Word! look for pics and updates next week!

Lunch for 8 Table Pictures!

2009-10-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

these are our pictures from our 1st ever Lunch For 8! it was an awesome day as over 140 students and adults had the opportunity to eat lunch and have great conversation together! we look forward to the next Lunch for 8 in the spring!

Fall Retreat 2009

2009-10-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

FR09 is only 15 days away! november 6-8 are the dates for the weekend in the fall that our student ministry always looks forward to. we will be heading back to Pine Cove Camp to The Shores for a weekend of renewal and worship with the Lord. Andy Tilly from Denton, TX will be preaching and The Refuge Band will be leading worship throughout the weekend.

registration closes wednesday, october 28th! forms are available in the Upper Room and in the Student Ministry Offices! be praying for God to do something special!

Lunch For 8

2009-10-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

hey team!

we are kicking off a brand new event on Sunday afternoon, October 25th, and it is called "Lunch For 8". we are asking groups of 4 students to make up a team and 4 of our older FBC adults to form a team. we will then make tables of 8 for a lunch immediately after the AM worship service. lunch will be in Selph Hall.

this will be a great way for many of our students to get to know some of the adults in our church and let them pour wisdom and life experience into us!

just bring a couple of dollars to put in the bowl for lunch and that's all it costs! the deadline to register is Sunday, October 18th! do not miss out on this!

Midnight Madness was a blast!

2009-09-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

thanks to so many parents who came and served during Midnight Madness! we had over 175 students and many of them were first time guests at FBC! just wanted to say a BIG thank you to so many of you who helped out. click here to look at Kendall's pics from Midnight Madness!

Midnight Madness!

2009-09-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out on this first for the Upper Room. All Junior High and Senior High students are invited to come up to the Upper Room after the Benton-Pine Bluff game on Friday, September 25 for a breakfast explosion, followed by some sweet giveaways, followed by a trip to Little Rock where we have the entire Skatium rented out for roller skating and broomball on ice til 1 in the morning! the cost is only $10, but you MUST have a blue form filled out in before you can enter the Upper Room on Friday night. registration forms are available in the Upper Room and the Student Ministries offices! contact clay with ANY questions about MIDNIGHT MADNESS!

Blazing Center Bible Study

2009-08-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

hey folks!

sorry for the summer delay! it was a wild and crazy summer, and i apologize for not updating as I should!

i'm excited about our new SENIOR HIGH ONLY Bible Study that kicks off on Tuesday night, September 1st @ 730 PM at Steven Rutherford's house (806 Miller Cove)! we will be studying John Piper's "The Blazing Center"! i believe that God is going to work in us in a powerful way as we dig into God's Word!

don't miss out on this opportunity to grow deeper in your faith!

clay

Day 2 @ Mission Arlington...Through the eyes of Steve-o and Dylan

2009-06-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well...the day kicked off at 7 in the morning and we went and ate some yummy eggs and hash browns. Then we headed off to the Green Oaks School, and then learned the "to do's and not-to-do's." Since we didn't know exactly what our schedule was going to be, because we had the privilege of working with down syndrome children, we had to be very flexible. After the orientation, we found out where we would help out at and we separated into our groups that we called "stations" and went deeper into what we would do from there. Then, around 9, the kids started piling in. Starting off the rotation of the 9-3 school day, we went into what was called the music room and started getting to know the kids there. At around 9:30 we started singing some songs of joy towards our wonderful Savior. Our theme for the week was that God is with us, and every time we head someone say "God is with us," everyone said "FEAR NOT!" with a little fist pumping action. It was sweet!

From there, we moved to our stations to start the rotation. Dylan and I were in the science room and we showed the kids that seeing isn't always believing. We had the kids close their eyes and we put things like brownies in front of them for them to smell and cotton balls for them to feel. We told them that even though you couldn't see these objects, you still knew that they were there and what they were. We made sure they knew that this was the same with God and that even though you can't see Him, you can feel and sense His presence. On the last activity we had the kids dip their fingers in baby powder and put their fingers on tape so you could see their fingerprints. This showed the evidence that we are here and that we are someone. It also showed that God had fingerprints around the world that we could see all over.

After three rotations of this we went to lunch and then went to the music room again and watched a Veggie Tales movie. By this I had a girl that was a little sweet on me and i got to sit by her and watch it with her. After a long Veggie Tale movie we learned a couple more songs including my personal favorite, "this little light of mine." Then we went on the last rotation of activities and then went back to the music room, reviewed the songs and Bible verse, and then started getting ready to leave. Once everyone started heading out we found out that our van was broke down and we had no chance of going anywhere, so we were stuck at the school for a little while longer. We made the best of our time by playing some serious foam ball dodge ball and an intense game of cow racing on Wii. After about 2 hours of waiting for the bus to get back we finally started heading back to the greatest hotel on earth. Hawthorne Inn and Suites! When we got back here we cranked up the A/C, some took naps, others took showers, and some like Clay watched Sportscenter. We had dinner at 7 and a meeting at 9 preparing for tomorrow. That's all I've got for today! I love you!

Much love,

Steven (typed this wonderful story) :D and

Dylan

Mission Arlington-Day One

2009-06-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Metroplex!

Today was day one of traveling for Mission Arlington! We jetted early this morning around 8:00 AM and made it to Mt. Pleasant before girls started crying out for a bathroom break. SO....we kicked in to the Braum's parking lot and it just so happened they were open for lunch. It was muy delicioso!

We arrived at MA (Mission Arlington) and headed out to canvas an apartment complex where a Rainbow Express (Backyard Bible Club) will be held tomorrow. We stopped at a convenience store for a quick liquid break and much to our dismay the ol' faithful FBC step up van would not operate correctly! sad day! after God sent a kind angel to fix it we went on to worship at MA and then on to dinner. BUT....once again the mechanical demon reared its' ugly head and we finally realized that we had an ineffective battery! so we made a quick dash to Wally World RIGHT before the automotive department closed and got a new battery! YEAH!!!

so we went on to dinner. i chose panera bread (i love this place..especially the soft chocolate chip cookies!) others chose taco bueno! then it was on to make our crazy wal mart run and then on to check into homebase here at our hotel. after a brief prep meeting tonight we've headed to our rooms and we're going to get some shut eye.

be praying for God to do great things in us and through us. pray that God would give us eyes and hearts of compassion and mercy. pray for people that we meet to be convicted by the Spirit and turn from a life of darkness to a life of light in Jesus!

see ya tomorrow!

PS....Caleb and Tanner W. say HI to their moms!!

Choir Tour Wrap Up

2009-06-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

WOW! that's all i can say as i sit here this afternoon trying to process all that God did in us and through us during Choir Tour 2009. our time at camp was incredible as we slowed down a little bit and allowed the Holy Spirit to refresh us and renew us and teach us great things about Him.

do not miss out on the Homecoming Concert THIS Sunday evening at 6PM in the Worship Center. it is going to be a great night of worship! to God be the glory!

Click here for Camp Pics.

Click here for more Camp Pics!!

Choir Tour 2009-Day 5/6-Church & Camp

2009-06-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

hey folks...

Sunday, June 7th

Our day began very early, even before breakfast was served at the hotel. We loaded the buses at 6:30 a.m. to leave for morning worship. You could tell who the morning people were. We arrived at First Baptist Church New Braunfels, Texas around 7:15 a.m. . The first service began at 8:15 and then they ate breakfast. Our menu consisted of Mrs. Bethel's rolls and chocolate chip cookies with juice and milk. After our breakfast, we had a special prayer time for our accompanist and friend, Retha Kilmer. Retha is having surgery Wednesday at noon, so please pray for her. She plans to be with us Sunday evening for the homecoming concert, what a trooper! The second service began at 11:45 and was a thrilling time of worship. The act of worship comes in many forms and it is not the same for everyone. The presence of our Lord was felt by all in the service. Some stood, some raised their hands to heaven, some remained silent and still but it was evident that God was speaking through us and to us.

After worship, we ate at yet another mall and Doug took Retha to the airport and picked up Pastor Rick, Janice, Kristin, and Josh. We traveled to the Flying L and bus 2 had joke time. An hour of jokes. The insanity of it all. After arriving to camp and finding our rooms, we were treated to a meal that did not come from the mall food court. Our first meal at camp was spectacular. It was also talent show night. The sponsors took us through the decades and spared no expense for the show. The expense might have been their dignity but a fun time was had by all. John Bethel (aka Edwin Starr) sang "War" with background dancers, one of which was our very own Pastor Rick. He's got skills.

Monday, June 8th

Breakfast began at 7:30 but I don't think many were actually awake at that point. Our first Bible study began at 10:00 and Clay began in Psalms 3:3-4. A Shield for Me. The highlight for me was the realization that God is not just a shield in front of me or behind me but around me. Every part of my being is protected by the shield of God. What an awesome and comforting promise of God. He is my protector!!!!

See you tomorrow!! Click below for Day 5/6 Pictures

Day 4-Choir Tour 2009-Sea World

2009-06-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

hey folks...

quick post tonight before we go to bed! we have to be up and at em EARLY in the morning as we we will be worshipping with FBC-New Braunfels, TX. today we traveled from the metroplex to san antonio, ate lunch, and then spend the day at Sea World. we loved watching Shamu and the other shows as well as hitting up some roller coasters. tonight we are spending the night in San Marcos before heading toward camp tomorrow afternoon! continue to pray!

Click Here for Sea World Pictures!

Day Three!

2009-06-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the DFW Metroplex again!

Today was a BUSY day as we had 3 times of worship and took in a great movie. The weather was hot, but God gave us some nice gusts of wind every once in awhile to make it very bearable!

We began this morning by traveling to Cook's Children Hospital in Fort Worth. We had the privilege of singing in their beautiful atrium and as we sang patients, doctors, and nurses would stop in and listen. It was a very moving experience for our students and for those who were patients there at the hospital.

We then moved to the University Christian Church on the campus of TCU. This is where we had our concert with God. As we loaded the busses at the hospital a 'no talk' order was executed and our focus quickly was on what was about to happen. A concert with God is where we go into an older church and there are no other individuals in the church. It's us and God. This was an incredibly moving time!

After lunch we headed to Mission Arlington. Every summer our students have the opportunity to spend a week at this incredible missions center in the heart of the metroplex, so it was cool to see all of our youth choir serve as we helped with a Tent Revival. A bunch of children came and the Gospel was presented clearly and passionately! It was a great night of worship and ministry!

We capped off the night with a Jason's Deli boxed dinner and a viewing of the new Pixar movie "Up" in 3D. The students and adults loved it! It was a great way to cap off a great day! We are getting up early in the morning as we head to San Antonio and Sea World! Continue to pray for God to do great things in us and through us! To HIM be the glory!!

Click here for Day 3 pictures

Choir Tour-Day Two-FBC Sachse, TX

2009-06-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

greetings from the Lonestar state!

hope all is well in BTOWN! we had another GREAT day as we traveled much of the day from El Dorado to the DFW metroplex. after we traveled down I-20 from Shreveport to Dallas we stopped and ate lunch at the Town East Mall in Mesquite, Texas. we then traveled on to Sachse, TX and settled in at FBC-Sachse. Matt and Chelsea Jones welcomed us there. Matt is the worship pastor and his wife Chelsea is a Pure Energy alumni. it was a joy to see her!

our time of worship tonight was powerful. "Revelation Song" was especially meaningful as the entire congregation stood in worship as we proclaimed the Scriptures of Revelation that describes our future times of worship of our Father in our heavenly home! it was a great night to say the least.

we actually get to keep our suitcases unzipped 2 nights in a row here in Arlington!! tomorrow will be an eventful day as we have 3 concerts! there will be lots to talk about tomorrow night! enjoy the pictures below!

Click here for Day 2 pics!!

Choir Tour 2009-FBC El Dorado, AR

2009-06-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks!!

Day one is in the books, and it was a good one! Excitement was felt all over the building at FBC as the day that we had been working so hard towards had finally come!! After some last minutes instructions and a prayer by Pastor Rick we filled the busses and headed out.

We arrived at FBC El Dorado around 3:30 and set up in their sanctuary. It was a beautiful sanctuary and we enjoyed the people there a lot. After a quick rehearsal we spent some time in their student ministry building and enjoyed a great dinner. After dinner we got ready and headed to the sanctuary for an incredible night of worship. There was such a neat spirit of worship!

After worship we snuck a quick round of bowling in at El Dorado Lanes before heading to our hotel! Tomorrow we venture to the DFW metroplex for a little shopping and our second time of worship at FBC Sachse, TX. Former Pure Energy Chelsea Crowson Jones' husband Matt is the Worship Pastor. We are looking forward to seeing Matt and Chelsea!

Look for more updates tomorrow. Click on the link below to look at pictures from Day One. Feel free to leave a comment!

Blessings!!

Click here for Day One Pictures!

CHOIR TOUR!

2009-06-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

hey folks!

well Choir Tour 2009 is just hours away!! check back here for updated news and pictures from tour! be praying for God to do a great work!

Parents Meeting

2009-05-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Parents!

Just a reminder that our Summer Parent Meeting is THIS Sunday, May 17th at 4:45 PM in the Upper Room! We will look at the Summer Calendar and talk about what's coming up over the next few months! Plan on being there!!

MISSION ARLINGTON

2009-04-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

hey gang!!

we still have some spots open for Mission Arlington, our JH/SH mission trip to the Dallas Metroplex. the dates are june 21-26, and the cost is only $165. registration forms are available in the Upper Room!

Breakaway Wrap Up

2009-03-30T21:26:00.001-07:00

BREAKAWAY 2009 was an incredible week of worship and refreshment on the coast of Alabama. Joel and Rebecca Winters did an incredible job of leading worship and Jeremy Nottingham did an outstanding job preaching the truth of God's Word and specifically sharing about the miracles of Jesus. we had 3 students make professions of faith and many others that made decisions that will impact their lives for the glory of the Father! here are some links that will take you to pictures of the week...

Album 1

Album 2

BREAKAWAY....so far....

2009-03-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

hey folks...

WOW!! what a week so far at camp. incredible weather, fantastic food, and an amazing God working in wonderful ways! we've had a blast so far in Orange Beach. today is our last day of camp programming. last night was one of the most incredible nights of worship that i have ever experienced. hard to put into words. continue to pray for God to do good things as we focus on the powerful person of Jesus and the difference that He wants to make in us and the difference that He wants to make in our world through us!

Mother/Daughter Brunch

2009-03-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

hey gang!

just a reminder to not forget to purchase your mother/daughter brunch tickets!! they are $5/ticket and the last day to purchase tickets is this Sunday! it's going to be a great morning together as moms and their girls spend some quality time together! don't miss out!!

DODGECITY!

2009-02-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

we are just a couple of weeks away from our 3rd annual Dodgeball Tournament! registration forms for your team are available in the UR and the deadline to sign your team up is sunday, march 15th! there will be a Parent Division, a JH Division, and a SH Division! the cost is only $5/person, $30/team. it's going to be a great night. we will be at the Benton Junior High again and we'll kick everything off at 6:30 PM. even if you don't play you can come and support. admission is only $3/adults and $2/students. all of the proceeds go towards scholarships for camp and mission trips.

BREAKAWAY

2009-02-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

hey gang....

just a reminder that this wednesday is the deadline for our Spring Break Camp @ the beach known as BREAKAWAY. the dates are March 20-25 and we'll be hanging out together at the Phoenix X in Orange Beach, Alabama. Joel and Rebecca Winters will be leading in worship and Jeremy Nottingham will be preaching our sessions as we focus on Jesus Messiah! it's going to be an incredible week!

registration forms are in the Upper Room and the Student Ministry Offices. the non-refundable deposit is $75 and is due by this Wednesday, February 11th! don't miss out!

Mother/Son Date Night

2009-01-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Don't miss out on our first ever Mother/Son Date Night. It will kick off at 6:00 PM on Saturday evening, January 31st. This will be a special night where Moms and their Sons get the opportunity to spend some quality time together over dinner and a short program at the church. The cost is $5/person with a $15 max/family. Tickets are available at the church and in the Upper Room. Deadline to purchase tickets is next Wednesday, January 28th!

Reality Weekend Wrap Up

2009-01-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

WOW! what a weekend! God was faithful to move and work in the lives of our students, college students, and adults! to Him be praise for His unfailing love, His unyielding mercy, and His abounding grace! David Nasser and Billy/Cindy Foote did an awesome job in worship leadership this weekend. we also had the opportunity to raise a lot of money to go to help children all over the world with food, clothing, education, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel! below are a couple of links to see some pictures of the weekend!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031631&l=109dd&id=82202204

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031632&l=8c327&id=82202204

Reality Weekend is on!!!

2009-01-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

it's only days away.......

one weekend. one worship. one body. over 500 students will come together for a time of renewal and refreshment as we study God's Word together and worship the Lord together this friday, saturday, and sunday!

don't forget to meet in Selph Hall this Wednesday night, January 14th, for our Reality Weekend Rally. the doors will open at 6:55 PM and then we'll spend some time eating, fellowshipping, and worshipping together! we'll hand out t-shirts at the end of the night!

be praying for God to do some amazing things during our time together! pray for people to be saved and for hard hearts to become sensitive to the Lord! to Him be all praise!

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks!

Well, we brought 2009 in with a bang in Branson!! We had a great time on our 1st ever New Year's Eve Blow Out. You can see pictures by clicking on the link below....

Branson Pics

Don't forget that THIS Wednesday, January 7th is the deadline for registrations for Reality Weekend 2009! You do not want to miss this intense weekend of worship and Bible Study. Details on the weekend are in the post below. It's going to be an incredible 3 days! Get your forms in!

Here's to a fruitful 2009!!

Reality Weekend 2009!

2008-12-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

hey folks!!

REALITY WEEKEND 2009 is just around the corner. January 16-18, 2009 are the dates for our annual DiscipleNow weekend that will see over 500 students come together to worship and study God's Word together. January 7th is the deadline to sign up for the weekend, and you can grab a registration form in the Upper Room.

This year David Nasser will be preaching and Billy & Cindy Foote will be leading worship. These folks are excellent at what they do, and I know that God is going to use them during our weekend in a mighty way. We also have some incredible small group leaders coming in from OBU.

Don't miss this weekend of intense discipleship as we seek the Lord together.

Big Wednesday!

2008-12-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

hey gang!

this Wednesday is a BIG day!! our annual Christmas Party will kick off at 7PM and end up at around 815PM! make sure you don't forget your homemade dessert and your 'clean santa' gift that costs under $5! we'll spend some time fellowshipping and then worshipping our Creator!

also Wednesday is the deadline for our New Year's Eve Branson Blow Out! the cost is $85 and this covers your ticket to Dixie Stampede, Kirby Van Burch New Years Eve show, hotel, and Barn Swinging! it's going to be a blast! don't miss out!!

IMPACT

2008-12-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

hey gang!

hope your week is going well! just wanted to let you in on what's coming down the pipe for IMPACT over the next couple of weeks....

December 10th TESTIMONY NIGHT We'll spend this night worshipping Jesus together and hearing testimonies of students about what God is doing in and through them. This will be a great night of encouragement and ministry!

December 17th CHRISTMAS PARTY Tonight we'll come together to celebrate the life of our Savior! Bring some homemade dessert with you and we'll feast together. Also bring a 'clean Santa' gift that costs no more than $5. This will be a fun night

December 24th Christmas Eve Service @ FBC @ 5:00 PM. No IMPACT!

December 31st NEW YEARS EVE BRANSON BLOW OUT! We'll be celebrating the entrance of 2009 together in Branson, MO. Sign ups are in the UR now and go through Dec. 17th. We'll be going to the Branson Landing, Dixie Stampede, Kirby Van Burch Magic Show, Barn Swinging, and to Lambert's Cafe. Cost is $85. It will be a memorable New Year's!!

That's the scoop!

New Years Eve Branson Blow Out

2008-11-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hey gang!

Just wanted to let you know that registration is open for our New Years Eve Branson Blow Out! It's going to be an awesome two days as we get away to enjoy the ringing in of the New Years together! We'll start off on Wednesday by going to The Branson Landing for some lunch and a little shopping, then we'll head off to Dixie Stampede for a great time of dinner and a show before we end the evening at the Kirby VanBurch Magic experience! On Thursday we will spend the day doing a little Barn Swinging and finish the day off with lunch at Lambert's Cafe, Home of the Throwed Roll!

The cost is $85 and the deadline to sign up is Wednesday, December 17th! Don't miss out!

Paint It Up Information

2008-11-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

hey folks!

here is some info. for you paintball lovers for this saturday....

*meet at the bus barn @ 11 AM

*bring $$'s for quick lunch

*bring extra money for extra paint if you need it

*we'll be home around 5

call me/e-mail me if you have any questions!

peace be.

Paint It Up!!

2008-11-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

hey gang!

don't forget that your Paint It Up forms are due this coming up Wednesday at IMPACT. we'll be heading to Paintball Arkansas (no bridget that is not a town) on saturday, november 15th! we'll head out of the church parking lot at 11:00 AM and be back around 5:30. the cost is $15/all day play and 100 paintballs or $30/all day play and 500 paintballs. you can also buy extra paintballs on your own. also need to bring a little money for some fast food. it's going to be a blast! don't miss out!

Incredible Retreat!

2008-10-30T22:06:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a weekend! God proved Himself faithful to come and work in our lives during Fall Retreat 2008. Please pray for the new believers who made Christ the boss of their lives this weekend! Pray that God would give them the strength to make their decisions public to the body soon! God is good.

here are some links to some pictures for the weekend.....

Facebook Album 1

Facebook Album 2

Facebook Album 3

It's Here!!!

2008-10-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

hey folks!

Fall Retreat 2008 is here! we've got over 170 folks going to be a part of an awesome weekend away focused on our love relationship with Jesus and fellowship with each other. here are some details that you need to know....

*You need to be in the Worship Center lobby by 8:45 AM!

*Pack light!!! We are tight on space!

*You need money for 2 fast food stops, snacks, and a Solace Found CD.

*We'll be home by 3:30 PM on Monday.

*Don't forget your bedding!

Be praying for God to do some amazing things!!

Fall Retreat Rally is tonight!!

2008-10-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's almost here!!

Tonight we will kick off Fall Retreat with our worship rally in the Upper Room at 7:00 PM! We'll kick off the night with some cake and punch and then spend some time worshipping together and preparing our hearts for the weekend! We'll also hand out t-shirts tonight.

Each participant should be receiving a letter in the mail today/tomorrow with details about the weekend. You need to be at the church by 8:45 AM Saturday morning and register in the lobby of the Worship Center before you get on any bus. Remember that you need to bring sheets/sleeping bag/pillow for your bunk!

See ya tonight!

Fall Retreat is nearing!!!

2008-10-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Only 8 more days of registration are open for Fall Retreat 2008! We are looking forward to a great weekend of worship, Bible study, and fellowship!

Dr. Joey Dodson will be our preacher for the weekend. Joey has an incredible heart for the Word and has an intense passion to communicate it to students. The band, Solace Found, will be leading worship through the weekend. They were with us last year during Fall Retreat, and so we are thrilled that they are back with us!!

Registration forms are available in the Upper Room and the Student Ministry Offices. October 15th is the Deadline!!!

Fall Registration Is On!

2008-09-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

hey gang!

fall retreat registration is on!!! the dates are October 25-27 and the deadline to register is Wednesday, October 15th! forms are in the Upper Room and the Student Ministry Offices. Solace Found will be leading us in worship and Joey Dodson will be preaching throughout the weekend.

we will have scholarships available if you need some help! it's going to be an amazing weekend! don't miss out! contact clay (778.2271 or clay@fbcbenton.org) if you have ANY questions!!

SINK OR SWIM!

2008-09-20T03:33:00.000-07:00

hey team!

don't forget to get your SINK or SWIM registration in this Sunday! our trip is set for next Saturday, September 27th. the cost is $15 and you must have your waiver forms signed by your parents and turned in before we head down the Saline River. we will meet at Riverside Grocery at noon and then head down the river at 1:00 PM. we should be finished up around 3:30 PM!

also don't forget about the Habitat Youth United's "Battle of the Bands" next Saturday night as well! everything kicks off at the Fairgrounds at 5:00 PM, and some of our own students will be participating (TRB w/Marcus Rutherford, Steven Rutherford, and Brady Willis)! come out and support these guys and Habitat Youth United!

DIVE TONIGHT....Big Bros & Sisses Are Revealed!

2008-09-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

hey friends!

welp....the anticipation is over as we assigned 46 sets of Big Brothers and Big Sisters last night. we are continually striving to grow bigger and smaller at the same time. the Big Brother/Sister Ministry is our attempt to connect 8th and 9th grade students with our older senior high students to bridge the age gaps. it was awesome seeing our older students and younger students literally 'embrace' last night!

DIVE (monday night Bible study) kicks off tonight! junior high students will meet at hunter johnson's house from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM and we'll be studying the Psalms. senior high students will meet at katy stracener's casa from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM and we are studying the book of Revelation. come on and be a part. call the church office if you need more info or directions (778.2271)!

have a great week!

Adoption Night!!

2008-09-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

This Sunday night is a BIG night as we'll kick off Pure Energy at 4:30 PM! After worship at 6:00 PM we'll have our Big Brother/Big Sister Adoption Night in the Worship Center. We should be done around 7:45 PM. You MUST be at the Adoption Night to be a part of the program this year!

Also don't forget about your SINK or SWIM registrations if you are planning on being a part of our Saline River float trip. The date is Saturday, September 27th! We'll meet at Riverside at noon for a little picnic and then head down the river from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM!

Big Brother/Big Sister Registration Deadline is Sunday!

2008-09-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

hey folks!

just a reminder that applications for the Big Brother/Big Sister Ministry deadline is due THIS SUNDAY, September 7th! applications are in the Upper Room and must be completed and turned in by Sunday! you must be at the Adoption Ceremony Sunday night, September 14th in the Worship Center immediately after the PM worship service. that is also the same day as Pure Energy kicks off!

don't forget about SINK or SWIM as well! our float trip down the Saline River will take place Saturday, September 27th. there are a limited number of spots in the canoes so make sure you get your registration packet turned in to save your spot!

have a great week!!

Great night @ IMPACT!

2008-08-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

hey gang!

great night last night @ IMPACT! i pray that your heart and soul were fed, encouraged, and embraced by our Father last night! "Never Let Go" was incredible! i had a great time visiting with a few of you by text after worship last night talking about worship and the Word.

as you live this week remember Whose You Are! you belong to God! YEAH!!! so since you belong to Him daily put to death the sinful nature that wars in us, remember where your identity is found, and embrace the true life that comes from a relationship with the SON!

next wednesday we'll start a new series on sharing our faith with a lost world! make sure you're there!! don't forget that your UR T-Shirt order form is due next wednesday w/your $12.

love yall!

clay

IMPACT is BACK!!

2008-08-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

hey gang!

IMPACT is BACK this Wednesday night at 7:00 PM!! it's time go get cranking again on Wednesday nights in the Upper Room. the doors open at 5:15 PM for you to come hang out, eat some dinner, do some homework, play some pool/ping pong/foosball, or just chill before we kick worship off at 7:00 PM! be ready to worship and seek God together with over 100 students! it's going to be a blast. bring an unchurched friend with you to check out what God might want to do! Don't miss it!!!

Promotion Sunday & CONNECTION Lunch

2008-08-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

hey gang!!

i know that many of you are not looking forward to the beginning of school, but we are pumped in the Student Ministry Offices about a new year with a new group of 8th graders and a new group of seniors who are ready to lead.

THIS SUNDAY, August 17th is Promotion Sunday! we'll meet in the Upper Room for a little breakfast, worship, and challenge for the new school year. you will also have the opportunity to briefly meet your new small group leaders!

after morning worship we will all meet in Selph Hall for CONNECTION Lunch. all 8th through 12th graders and small group leaders will be treated to a Sally Brown lunch of chicken tenders, fries, and ice cream. we will talk about the upcoming semester, Bible studies, retreats, and trips! it's going to be a great semester! we'll also begin talking about our 2nd year of Big Brothers and Big Sisters! we will be done with lunch around 12:45 PM!

LAST "CRASH" OF THE SUMMER

2008-07-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

hey gang!!

congratulations to the winners of the 4th Annual Intern Scavenger Hunt:

colby roberts

jarrod shults

kevin c. burns

austin pfeiffer

terry pfeiffer, driver

BIG THANKS goes out to jarrett and christen for doing a fantastic job of putting the hunt together!

just a reminder that the last CRASH of the summer is this wednesday night, July 30th!! we'll meet in the UR for worship at 5:30PM and then head down to arkadelphia to the aquatic park!!! cost is $10 and that includes your admission into the park and a catered meal from Pig Pit BBQ!!! don't forget to bring a towel with you!!

also don't forget about our summer share service sunday night at 6:00 PM! we'll have the opportunity to share about what all God has done this summer on Choir Tour, Paint Your Heart Out, Mission Arlington, and Mission Cajamarca! don't missi out!!!

4th Annual Intern Scavenger Hunt

2008-07-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

hey gang!!

don't forget about this Sunday night, July 27th! after worship in the Sanctuary at 6:00 PM we'll meet in the Upper Room for a quick dinner and then get our scavenger hunt teams together and head out for the 4th Annual Intern Scavenger Hunt. if you have never been a part of this event you are missing out! our interns have devised some tough tough clues for you to attempt to solve in order to find the missing prize of $100!! their clues will send you all around b-town looking for the next clue. The cost is $10 and that includes dinner. we should be done by around 9:30 PM! if you have any questions about the night feel free to e-mail me at clay@fbcbenton.org!! see ya sunday night!!!

clay

We're in Lima!

2008-07-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

hey folks!

just wanted to update one last time before we head home late tonight. we have made it to Lima safely and just resting up a bit before we grab some lunch and spend some time at the Indian Market. it has been an incredible trip with too many memories to write here.

yesterday was a great day of worship and recreation. we worshipped with Monte Sion BC in the morning and then spent yesterday afternoon playing A LOT of volleyball with the folks there. we got whipped! they know how to play some volleyball! after a hot dog and marshmallow roast underneath a perfect clear sky we worshipped once again with the congregation of Monte Sion. we lead the entire service, and it was a blessing! jarrett and hannah bethel led worship and hannah pfeiffer and stephanie morse gave their testimonies. i preached on john 14.6 and a man name Gheno came forward to accept Christ. he was a 30 year old policeman who the church had been reaching out to. he said that last night was the first time he felt the boldness to walk forward to accept the Lord. it was amazing!!

after some devotional time and prayer time we headed to bed! our bags were to be out at 5AM this morning so needless to say we're dragging just a bit. looking forward to being home to share stories of God's goodness and faithfulness, but also have hearts that are connected with the people of Cajamarca!

blessings!

clay

Our Last Full Day in Cajamarca

2008-07-20T05:57:00.000-07:00

greetings!

i hope that this note finds everyone doing well back home. unfortunately our trip is drawing to a close as today is our last full day in Cajamarca. yesterday was an awesome day as we woke up early and packed an old school bus and headed off to the orphanage to pick the older children up to take them to a place called Porcorn Grande. basically it was a large farm with a zoo, picnic area, fishing pond, and creek. it was nestled in the beautiful mountains of Cajamarca. beautiful place! after we toured the zoo we then went and shared a sack lunch together before singing some songs, hearing Andy's testimony, and sharing the plan of salvation with the children. it was fun to watch the eyes of these children as they saw the animals, caught their first fish, and received love from our students. i have to believe that God was pleased!

after a short afternoon nap we ate dinner together before going to Monte Sion Baptist Church for the Saturday evening youth gathering. Jarrett and Christen did a great job of leading worship and Ali, Colby, Rachel, and Katy gave their testimonies. i preached for a little bit and then we played a game together. that was interesting! some of the college students that we invited on Friday also came, so that was pretty exciting. some had to ride busses all the way across town as well! it was good re-connecting with them and exchanging e-mails.

this morning we will worship with the congregation from Monte Sion and also share with them tonight. God continues to teach us great things about Himself and ministry!