Samish Fall Young Adult Retreat

The retreat was so much fun and uplifting! We all had a good time in fellowship, fun, and worship. We had a Murder Mystery dinner Saturday night which was acted out by young adults at the retreat. Might I add that they did a superb job! We had classes from our guest minister Erica Nye which focused on our need for church and the churches need for young adults. After the communion service someone suggested we sing some more and it morphed into a spontaneous song service for over an hour. It was followed by the traditional What If/Then game! Sunday we shared with one another testimonies, struggles, blessings, and prayers. It really was a great weekend! I hope that more people can make it out next year.

The Fine Arts Retreat

The ever growing annual retreat will take place at Samish Island Campgrounds on the weekend of April 25-27, 2008, and is open to people of all ages! Some classes usually offered at this retreat includes Culinary, Music, Songwriting, Instrumental, Drawing, Bonzai, Yoga, etc. Check out the flyer at http://finearts.cofchrist-gpnw.org/FAR2008.pdf.

I went last year and had a lot of fun. For those who play guitar it is a great time to jam with others and learn. But, if you are not so musically inclined there are plenty of other artistic endeavors to pursue. The numbers at this retreat keep growing. On Saturday night they have a big talent show as well. Plus, the weather is pretty nice this time of year up at Samish and you get to hang out on the grounds.

Rachel

Canada O Canada

Upcoming YAPS Event! Many of the MAYAs are already discussing carpool options. Let us know if you want to go!

Yes that's right, back by popular demand . . . a trip to the great country up north: Canada! After all of last year's fun and fellowship, we decided that another visit to Canada would be well worth it. You know what? The Canadians actually went for it! They WANT us back!!! And who are we to deny them? (And I thought we blew it last time with our directional skills . . . way to go Sean). Our last activity was slightly diminished due to the weather, but we still had an awesome time. 6 of us showed up and ate good food, unwrapped silly gifts (white elephant gifts rule!), and played Scene It and Catch Phrase. While I'm happy that 6 of us still came, I'm hoping that we can blow that number out of the water for our journey northward - can we do it??? That's what I thought ;) Here's the preliminary info:

What: Trip to Canada! We'll be heading up on a Saturday and staying overnight until Sunday afternoon. We plan on spending the day on Saturday having fun in downtown Vancouver, B.C. (GREAT place) and then retiring to the church for games and karaoke (I have the voice of an angel . . . the angel of death that is). Sunday morning we'll lead the worship at the Vancouver congregation and then share in lunch with the afterward. If you're interested in helping us with the worship, please let us know because we need it!

When: January 12th and 13th (Saturday to Sunday). We will be leaving early in the morning on Saturday and then leaving Sunday afternoon. How much: Sean and I have yet to finalize all the details, so we'll get back to you with specifics about the cost of the weekend :)

How will we get there: We'll caravan and carpool . . . so I'll call it carapool. I love word combination. So, yes, we'll carapool from the States up to Canada and we can definitely arrange pick-up/meet-up points along the way as needed. So, if you want to go and want to join up with us, let us know and we'll work out the carapool details.

**Important** You will need to bring a Passport or birth certificate - they are not required yet, but they make it a heck of a lot easier to cross the border. I know all of you must be salivating by now at the prospect of joining us on such a royal adventure . . . don't worry, I am too. Just ring a bell, say "Canada," and say hello to drool. Can you say "Classical Conditioning"? (If not, it's just my psychobabble anyway)

Bottom line: It's going to be a great time, so I strongly urge all of you to consider coming. It's a wonderful chance to fellowship and worship together with our brothers and sisters from up North. Please e-mail us or contact us via Myspace, Facebook, or our Blog to let us know if you're going to come (or are at least interested in trying to come). Thanks everyone!

http://www.cofcyaps.wordpress.com/ Sean Langdon and Erik Skoor

GPNW Young Adults in the Herald

The young adults who attended the young adult retreat at Samish Island in September made thier debut in the Herald. Look for it in the December Herald in the "Snapshots" section for the group photo!

The YAPS Visit Portland!

A Little Note From Our Sister Group in the Puget Sound Area

Yes, the Land of Port (aka “Portland”) is an enchanting land – full of possibility and great spirit. The Young Adults of the Puget Sound will visit this mystic land down south. Will you join this sacred quest with us? Will you dare to share an experience that will bring us closer to one another and closer to our Maker? The answer better be yes or I’ll kick you .. . . in a very Christ-like way of course. Leather sandals and, well, you get the picture . . .Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of it:

When: November 10th and 11th (Sat to Sun).Plan: We’ll be leaving from Marysville, WA – the Cedarcrest Congregation – at 8:30am on Saturday morning. We can make a couple stops on the way down south to pick up people or to have others join our caravan (ex. Seattle and Auburn/Tacoma) if needed.We will then stop for lunch in or around Vancouver, WA – you’ll need to bring money for lunch. Afterward, we will proceed to the Portland Community of Christ Church to drop off our stuff (should be around 1pm) and then we will head to downtown Portland for an afternoon of fun and exploration.

Dinner will be out on the town at a place to be determined – you will need to bring money for dinner as well.Following dinner, we will return to the church for an evening of games and activities. The congregation has a gym and has plenty of space for hanging out.

Yes, I’m sure “What if, Then” will rear it’s ugly head :)Sunday morning, YAPS will lead the 11am worship service after a breakfast that we will provide. We will need your help for this! We need people who are willing to share testimonies, read scriptures, participate in a short activity (focus moment), and help with the offertory.

Please e-mail Sean or me if you are willing to participate. This is a great opportunity to worship together and provide ministry to our faith community.Lunch on Sunday afternoon will be on our way out of town and will need to be provided by you. We should be getting back into the Seattle area by 6pm.

Cost: You’ll need to provide the money for 2 lunches and 1 dinner. Also, if you are carpooling, bring some money for gas for the driver to help bring down the cost of travel.

So . . . who’s in??? Let us know ASAP so we can lock down our plans for this awesome weekend! As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns – we’d love to help make this weekend happen. We’ll talk to you soon!

Sean Langdon and Erik Skoor

PS. If you are apart of MAYAs and want to join let Tim or Rachel know!