tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65936162011-08-02T20:09:07.089-04:00Musings of an old ex-youth minister in Oak Ridge, TN.Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-32206863636409593872010-10-12T13:49:00.003-04:002010-10-12T13:50:55.434-04:00

Join us this year for our annual Fall Retreat. The retreat is open to all youth group members. The cost is $50. There is an information sheet and sign up outside of my office.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-77618436281988614422010-04-13T10:23:00.002-04:002010-04-13T10:23:52.562-04:00

Last week I wrote about the first challenge to the church in America:  Technology.  This week we are looking 2 more challenges.  Challenge #2 is that America is increasing becoming “post-church.”  Notice I didn’t write “post-Christian” and this is a distinction with a difference.  Randy remarked that Christianity still has a profound influence in American life.  The problem we face is not

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-49944484821201602162010-04-06T10:38:00.001-04:002010-04-13T10:24:45.936-04:00

I know this is usually teen space, but I had the privilege to attend Elderlink in Atlanta at the end of March.  This was the best Elderlink I have attended so far.  Randy Harris kicked off the conference on Friday night with 5 challenges to the future of the Church in America.  I will spend the next several weeks discussing them here in Neil’s Notes.  The first challenge was Technology.  

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-45004837685756944752010-02-25T10:52:00.000-05:002010-02-25T10:52:10.297-05:00

Winterfest was great again this year.  The best thing was the five precious souls that put their Lord on in baptism:  Jenna Beckler, Lensey Johnson, Matthew Thompson, Karly Turner, and Caleb Wooten.  The theme of the weekend was “The Veil.”  The speakers did a great job of covering all of the aspects of how the word “veil” is used in Scripture.  The first was that Satan tries to take our minds

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-31719710510286669322010-01-27T14:24:00.000-05:002010-01-27T14:24:49.401-05:00

For those who are interested in this Summer's DR trip (July 13th - 20th), we are having a meeting this Sunday right after the morning services.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-91289722762215226312010-01-12T09:57:00.000-05:002010-01-12T09:57:49.087-05:00

Pura Vida @ the Movies This Sunday, Pura Vida will be at the Movies. Kevin and Teresa Reaves will be chaperoning this event. Details about the movie, time and location will be in this Sunday’s handout. Upper Room Cafe I will have the Upper Room open starting this Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. This will give our teens a place to hang out with each other and their friends. I will also have a

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-65978104962470772462009-11-13T10:43:00.000-05:002009-11-13T10:43:44.738-05:00

Pura Vida returns to the Upper Room this Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We already have drinks, so just bring yourself (and friends!) for a great time of Bible study and fellowship!

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-89243707629111280062009-10-13T15:56:00.001-04:002009-10-13T15:56:58.218-04:00

Our Fall Retreat will be in Gatlinburg on November 20 -22, 2009. The theme is “Salt and Light.” The cost is $50. There will be information sheets and a signup available this Sunday.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-22637077063343791182009-10-13T15:55:00.000-04:002009-10-13T15:56:30.425-04:00

Pura Vida will be at a special location on October 25th, the Cherokee Caverns in Solway from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The cost will be $10 a person. We will have a tour of the cave and a devotional inside as well. We will provide drinks and a snack as well. This is a spectacular cave and a great experience. The inside cave temperature is 58 degrees so dress accordingly.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1522472785186209122009-09-18T10:28:00.001-04:002009-09-18T10:29:18.538-04:00

We have a special event planned at the Goodpasture’s on Saturday, Sept. 26th from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. Food and drinks are provided. We will be doing some the zip line and rappelling, so please wear cloths you do mind getting dirty and some sturdy shoes. There is a sign up list on the bulletin board outside of my office.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-28211005613613104462009-09-18T10:23:00.002-04:002009-09-18T10:48:12.761-04:00

We are going on the road for this week’s Pura Vida. We are going to attend the Silver Ring Thing at Faith Promise this Sunday night from 6:00 – 8:30 pm. The Silver Ring thing is a conference on sexual purity that has been going on for some time now. The cost to attend the conference is $5.00. If you want to purchase a ring, the cost of the ring is $20. We will leave the church at 5:30 and

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-22344952644844681672009-09-10T11:22:00.001-04:002009-09-10T11:23:58.882-04:00

Parent’s MeetingWe will have an important parent’s meeting on Sunday September 13th, 2009 after morning services in room 10. We will be discussing upcoming events through next summer.Pura Vida!Our Sunday night devotion time, Pura Vida, is scheduled for Sept. 13th and 20th in the upper room. We will catch a movie on the 27th. Look in next week’s bulletin for more details.Fear FactorWe have a

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-56056453725400001202009-08-19T12:27:00.000-04:002009-08-19T12:29:24.710-04:00

Back to School Lock-InWe will be having our Back toSchool Lock-In on Friday, August 28th startingat 10:00 P.M. and lasting until the nextmorning. Please bring your friends and $5 andsomething to sleep in and on.Pura Vida!At our last Sunday Night Devo,our teens came up with a newname for this event, Pura Vida! This is Spanishfor “pure life.” So, our next Pura Vida! meetingwill be Sunday Night,

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-40942695068810487332009-06-24T14:04:00.001-04:002009-06-24T14:04:58.008-04:00

This summer we have an intern, our own Laura Mitchell,who will be working with both the teen and children’sministries. Laura is a nursing major at Harding who is alsostudying with an emphasis on vocational ministry. Herduties will be to run a portion of this year’s VBS, workingwith our teen girls, learning the nuts and bolts of youthministry and the children’s ministries. She is already doinga

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-80510568375829220582009-06-24T13:27:00.003-04:002009-06-24T14:04:02.858-04:00

Wow! What a weekend! We had a great weekend atLipscomb University for this year’s installment of Jr. Impact.The theme this year was “Hidden.” The messagewas that we hide in our lives what should be revealed (sinthat needs to be confessed) and we don’t hide what needsto be protected (God’s truth in our hearts). As usual, thestaging in the Allen Arena was spectacular and the dramadid a great job,

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-19336240687019679872009-06-16T15:34:00.001-04:002009-06-16T15:41:26.955-04:00

Thanks to all of the guys who did so much to make this year’s Knoxville Workcamp a great success. We painted and did small repairs to 9 houses and involved about 150 students and volunteers from 8 congregations. Everyone worked very hard, even though some of the houses were quite a challenge. We are excited about the growth of this camp and look forward to doing even more next year!

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1623300620261732512009-05-29T10:34:00.002-04:002009-05-29T10:39:14.322-04:00

Knoxville Workcamp is coming up fast, as you do your planning please keep several things to keep in mind:• Everyone is responsible for their own lunch every day.• Everyone needs to bring a 4 inch paint brush.• Please wear clothes and shoes that you don’t mind ruining.Knoxville Workcamp is a great way to serve some people who can't help themselves. Those who are going are certainly going to be

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-85520631766246828312009-05-12T14:29:00.004-04:002009-05-12T23:54:29.064-04:00

We are getting ready for a great summer coming up. You can get news for our Youth group happenings from our Facebook page as well as the Highland View website and here. Laura Mitchell, our intern for this summer is taking a month long trip to China to help teach English. She will be back with us on June 15th.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-84026478228179883432008-07-23T13:43:00.003-04:002008-07-23T14:13:42.757-04:00

Monday night I went to see this year’s best movie, The Dark Knight. This is one intense film that earns it’s PG-13 rating. This one is not for the kids. However, this is a great film to discuss (and watch) with your teen. It is refreshing to see Hollywood portray evil without some back story about how poverty and a bad upbringing caused it all. The Joker is the very embodiment of evil itself. He

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-29463664615873605992008-07-16T14:12:00.003-04:002008-07-16T14:19:44.283-04:00

It is good to be home after our mission trip to the Dominican Republic. We put on 3 VBS’s in Puerta Plata, Caraqueno and La Coyera. Between all of the VBS’s, we were able to minister to almost 200 children. We also visited the hospital and city dump in Puerta Plata. We also painted and poured floors in several house in local villages and worshiped with the kids in Rio San Juan. Our team really

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-64417951275427173702008-03-04T12:14:00.005-05:002008-07-16T10:42:14.012-04:00

We had a fantastic weekend in Gatlinburg. It is amazing what happens when you lift up Jesus in front of teenagers. The theme this year was “The Mission.” Every attendee received a New Testament that includes a study for sharing the gospel. Our teens were then challenged to carry this New Testament with them to school for the next 30 days.I appreciate that the emphasis on mission first focused

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-823284380554297092007-11-13T10:43:00.000-05:002007-11-13T10:57:33.222-05:00

One of the greatest satisfactions of being a Youth Minister is seeing your students doing ministries of their own. This past Monday, two of our teens, Clay and Seth, worked the annual luncheon for homeless veterans in downtown Knoxville. The luncheon is put on by the Volunteer Ministry Center and is sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Since they were in the 6th grade, Clay

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-60871078452905397352007-11-06T11:47:00.000-05:002007-11-06T12:23:44.385-05:00

We just had a wonderful weekend in Gilbertsville, Kentucky at a weekend youth rally called Celebration. The churches in Western Kentucky have been putting this on for almost 25 years. When I lived in Atlanta and worshiped with the Chestnut Drive Church of Christ, we went to it in the late 80s through the early 90s. So, it has been about 15 years since I last attended this event.I was very

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-17130001930234177012007-10-10T11:16:00.000-04:002007-10-10T12:24:41.547-04:00

Patrick Mead will be speaking here this Sunday through next Wednesday. For those of you who went to Farragut last fall, you know you are in for a treat. Therefore, we will be in the auditorium during class time this Sunday (Oct. 14th) as well as next Wednesday. If you want to know more about him, check out his blog here.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-38482320671884069562007-10-09T12:15:00.000-04:002007-10-09T12:23:12.885-04:00

I have resurrected this blog so I can have a way to communicate with the youth group and parents. Over the next several weeks, I will be putting in links for our calendar and pictures. Please feel free to comment and spread the word!

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1155652860988873572006-08-15T10:19:00.000-04:002006-08-15T10:41:01.000-04:00

Next Saturday, we will have a party at Martin and Gina Staelens' house (Alberto's) to bring in the new school year and to welcome our newest youth group members: Adam Sadler, Jacquelyn Staelens and Brianna VanOver. Food and drink and fun will be provided so just bring the most important part to this party.... you!

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1155066468886369092006-08-08T15:41:00.000-04:002006-08-08T15:55:27.586-04:00

We had an awesome time at the Smokies Game and the Big Daddy Weave concert. We also had the added bonus of sitting right behind the band during the game. Cool, huh?

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1154112932296211592006-07-28T14:54:00.000-04:002006-07-28T14:55:32.316-04:00

On Aug. 6th, we will be attending the Smokies Baseball Game and staying for the Big Daddy Weave Concert afterwards. We will leave for the game at 3:15 and be back at apprximately 9:00 P.M. The cost is $11.00 for tickets and you can bring extra for refreshments at the game. Please sign up on the youth bulletin board or email me.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1153333777329139572006-07-19T14:29:00.000-04:002006-07-19T14:29:37.340-04:00

Just to let you all know I have a presence on My Space. You can access it here or on the link at the right.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1153242157268026272006-07-18T12:54:00.000-04:002006-07-18T13:09:57.466-04:00

We have had a great summer so far! We have made new relationships with other youth groups, seen our lives change and we are looking forward to a new beginning. Workcamp was awesome. Look for a link for pics from this summer soon, hopefully by tomorrow. Say hi! on the tagboard.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1140666019704334562006-02-22T22:40:00.000-05:002006-02-22T22:40:19.740-05:00

Don't forget we have the following events coming up this weekend:A.R.M.Y. (Always Reaching More Teens) - Sat. Night 6:30Love Feast - Just after services on Sunday.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1139341290829871572006-02-07T14:41:00.000-05:002006-02-07T14:43:31.830-05:00

We have several events coming up and on the distant horizon:A.R.M.Y. - Feb. 11thWinterfest - Feb. 17th - 19thLove Feast - Feb. 26thC.Y.F. - March 11thWinterJam - March 17thAlso, make sure you say hi to Brian & Tammy Wallace this weekend as they will be in town for the Manna/Dominican Workshop.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1138738659673028072006-01-31T15:17:00.000-05:002006-01-31T15:17:39.733-05:00

Wow! This past month I felt I have been living this song. Okay, so there hasn't been any darkness or famine or sword, but there has been a lot of sickness at the Thompson household this past month, including yours truely. However that hasn't stopped some exciting things from happening. We have a new program called A.R.M.Y. (Always Recruiting More Youth). This is the brainchild of Catherine

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1137019301368871232006-01-11T17:41:00.000-05:002006-01-11T17:41:41.366-05:00

Ok, it's been a month since I last posted, but we are back so check back here often for news regarding this year's activities. I will be unveiling things this week. A big TY to Catherine for restarting Thursday mornings of which the first is tomorrow.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1137018983703545272006-01-11T17:36:00.000-05:002006-01-11T17:36:23.750-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of attending the National Conference on Youth Ministries in Nashville. NCYM is the largest gathering of youth workers in our brotherhood and this year we had our largest attendanceever. What do we do while we are there? We participate in some of the best praise and worship to be found anywhere, we attend classes, we have great keynote speakers, and we renew

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1133989669062210272005-12-07T16:07:00.000-05:002005-12-09T17:29:59.313-05:00

Just a reminder about the Christmas Caroling this Sunday afternoon. We will be leaving the church at 2:00 P.M. this Sunday, December 11th. We will also be having U-turn at our house at 5:30 P.M. as well. Do your homework early! Congrats to Chris Weller and the Oak Ridge Wildcats for being state runners-up to an excellent team from Ravenwood. Hold your head high because it was a fun run this

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1133295413088038392005-11-29T15:16:00.000-05:002005-11-29T15:16:53.106-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We sure did in Atlanta. Here is a list of events you need to take note of for the month of December:Christmas Caroling and Basket Delivery.We will be singing and delivering baskets to our shut-ins on December 11th just after lunch on that Sunday. This is a great opportunity for us to participate with the rest of our church family to bring holiday cheer

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1132675995827584042005-11-22T11:04:00.000-05:002005-11-23T14:32:40.280-05:00

I am blessed to have an extended family that likes to get together. Thanksgiving is always family reunion time for the descendents of Neil Huffman Thompson, my great-grandfather who I was named after. We go over to my cousin's house in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee every other year and get to renew the bonds that bring us together. This year, we will be going to Atlanta, GA to be with Stephanie's family

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1132253149196274452005-11-17T13:44:00.000-05:002005-11-17T13:45:49.206-05:00

Hey! U-turn is at my house this Sunday @ 5:30 P.M. Bring some food to share and I'll bring the drinks.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1132069479890706672005-11-15T10:44:00.000-05:002005-11-15T10:45:25.310-05:00

Hey! Check out the 2 new links on the right. First, is The Ooze which is a site to discuss current Christian issues. The other is a link for a daily devotion written especially for teens.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1131720123344607142005-11-11T09:19:00.001-05:002005-11-11T09:55:27.696-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day. Let's please take time today to personally thank someone who has served our country. I will be heading down with 2 of my teens to the Volunteer Ministry Center in Knoxville to help serve lunch to homeless veterans. Clay and Seth have, for the past 5 years, collected clothes for these vets. It has been my pleasure to work with them and encourage them in their ministry.More:

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1131641577262505942005-11-10T11:52:00.000-05:002005-11-15T09:55:14.496-05:00

This Sunday we will begin Winterfest sign ups on the bulletin board. There will be a $35 due on December 4th, 2005. The total cost will be $75. More information about Winterfest can be found on the web site.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1131569453955617982005-11-09T15:39:00.000-05:002005-11-09T16:03:19.693-05:00

Yesterday, a 14 year-old boy shot and killed his assistant principal and wounded the principal and another assistant principal. My heart goes out to the families of the victims and the students who will have a difficult time dealing with this tragedy. All involved should be at the top of our prayer list. Reactions from bloggers can be found here.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593616.post-1131567905465504152005-11-08T15:22:00.000-05:002005-11-16T14:59:21.766-05:00

This is my first official post for Highland View Church of Christ Student Ministries. I will be writing on what is going on in our youth group as well as my take on what is going on in the world. Check here often for news about what is going on.

Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04919957747136642656noreply@blogger.com0