Get to Know Your Core Group Leader- Brittany Summers

Posted on by
Reply

Hey Everyone!

I’m Brittany. I’m a twenty-two year old who work as a hair stylist at Alexander’s Salon and Spa. I volunteer with the seventh grade girls here at RCC along side with Kayla.  I’ve been attending RCC since I was in second grade. I went lot as a kid, more for the fun and social aspect of it. It was not until the summer of my freshman year in high school that I truly felt God’s presence and I knew I needed Him in my life.

After my first high school summer camp, I was really impacted by God and people He put into my life. I was baptized that summer shortly after returning home. Ever since then I’ve wanted to be able to teach others the truth and love for God. I was blessed enough in high school to have the two best leaders anyone could have; they were very supportive and really showed God’s grace through their kind, encouraging words. This was also a big part of why I wanted to become a leader, to be able to help these girls through the hard times and trials they face in life.

I’ve been working with the girls since the start of last summer and have enjoyed every minute of it! I love starting with junior high because, not only do I think this is a crucial time in their lives, I also look forward to moving up with them every year until they graduate high school.

I hope this give everyone a good idea of who I am, where I am with God and my love for these wonderful girls!

-Brittany Summers

We found our “New Guy”

Posted on by
Reply

I am sure you have heard by now that the next Youth Pastor of RCC will be David Bartosik!

I am really excited for this. I got to know David a little bit before he left. He was part of my interview process before I was highered here and was my predecessor here.

David is a great guy who loves students and wants to work with you, the parents, in helping them see more clearly each day who Jesus is and the joy that comes from life with Him. He did his undergrad at Biola and his grad work at Talbot School of Theology (a great route to take if I do say so myself).

He will be starting June 1st and I know that the students who knew him before will continue to love him or, if your student did not know him, it will be a short process for them to realize just how awesome he is.

-Zack

Get to Know your Core Group Leader: Kevin Luangrath

Posted on by
Reply

Hey RCC! My name is Kevin Luangrath. I just graduated from Biola University in Dec 2011. I majored in Psychology with a minor in Biblical and Theological Studies and played soccer there for one year. This is my second year being involved at RCC.

I originally grew up in Everett,WA(where the grass really is greener on the other side!). I moved down here because of Biola and I have loved it here ever since.

I gave my life to the Lord after my junior year in High School after a summer camp at Lake Shasta, CA. Prior to that, I did not grow up in the church. I never even heard the Gospel until after my sophomore year in high school. But Praise the Lord that my eyes have been opened and my calloused heart has been softened. I have a strong desire and passion for youth ministry because this is where I can really relate. I did not have any knowledge of who God was during that time in my life and the Lord knows that I desperately needed Him. All of these kids need Him and I will do all that I can to assist in this happening (understanding that it is the Lord who is the only one who can change hearts)!

I currently work part time with children on the autistic spectrum in Pasadena. I plan on going to graduate school to pursue a Master’s degree for occupational therapy. I currently live in La Mirada,CA with a group of 6 other Biola guys (2 of them also involved at RCC). It seems like it can be a full house and it absolutely is! Luckily the Lord has provided an incredible girl in my life. We have been together for 3 and a half years and hopefully many more (Lord willing).

All that said, I love the ministry that goes on at RCC. The kids are full of energy and questions! It has been an absolute pleasure serving here and watching these kids grow in a better understanding of who God is!

Foundations by Mark

Posted on by
Reply

Before I came to RCC Students, Bryan did a couple of series called Foundations. Each one of these looked at what the bible said about ______. A few months back, we continued this by looking at what does the bible say about us as humans, we called it Foundations of US.

Until the Summer break (and maybe after), we will be going through the book of Mark. Mark writes to tell people about Jesus, about the Jesus that he was able to see, about the Jesus who changed his life. We thought that this would be the best way to see what the bible says about Jesus.

Now Mark does take some criticism from people: It’s too short; the other gospels give more information! He uses “immediately” too much! There is very little of Jesus’ parables or teaching! We respond to each of these complaints with a very gracious “No way!”

Mark is not ignorant of any of the works Jesus did or the things that he said. He did not forget to write something or, after reading the other gospels, Mark did not say to himself “Man, I totally should have put that in” (but you know…in greek).

Instead, Mark writes what he does (or, another way to say it, Mark records what Peter is telling him!) for a very specific reason. From the get go, Mark tells us that Jesus is God, but from that point on…people do not get it.

So that is what we are looking at: people who over, and over, and over, and over, and over again do not get Jesus to help our students see the real Jesus, to see what the Bible says about him, and to realize why he is the source of our joy.

 

Zack

Get to Know your Core Group Leader: Hannah Young

Posted on by
Reply
Hey everyone!  I am excited to introduce myself and even more excited to be a part of your students’ lives.  So, here is a little about me…
I grew up in Yucaipa – right near the apple orchards of Oak Glen.  After graduation from high school, I went on to play volleyball and study at Biola University.  It was at Biola were I really took hold of my faith, made it my own, and became an independent thinker.  I am so thankful for the life long friendships I made with my teammates and roommates, the opportunity to study the Bible at a high level, and the work God did in my life while at Biola.  It wasn’t perfect (I didn’t even want to go there when I made my first visit) but God definitely used it for my good.  With about 2 weeks left in the school year I met my future husband – he’s a keeper!  Dan and I met through mutual friends while he was playing for the Seahorses.  He says I was scopinghim out on the soccer field; I beg to differ.
During the next two years we dated, worked, I went back to school to get a master’s degree in Special Education, and then we got married!!  My favorite things about our wedding include the photobooth and ice cream cookie sandwiches for dessert.  And Dan.  Ok, so now we live life in Placentia.  I work as a teacher and coach at Valencia High School.  I love my job.  I also love meeting new people, trying new things, hanging out with my family, waterskiing, mountain biking, cooking, the doxology, crying tears of joy (and sometimes sorrow) and just hanging out with the people I love.  My latest challenge is learning to play the piano (I’m taking lessons and can almost play the doxology!).  Here’s a small list of things I don’t like: ranch, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, mayonaise, Satan, waking up early.
After we got married, Dan and I wanted to find a church to grow with and Richfield has been an answer to that prayer.  We’ve been attending now for almost 4 years, got plugged in with a Young Marrieds Life Group, and are now getting more involved in leadership.  That brings me to high school group.  I love these people!  I love their questions, their acceptance of me as a newbie, their stories, their faith.  I’m really honored and proud to be able to walk with them as they make big decisions and seek to discern God’s will in their lives.
I hope you enjoyed my book.  I certainly look forward to getting to know all of you.

New Series!

Posted on by
Reply

I really should not be allowed to name our series.

 

You may have looked on the back on the calendar (it is a fine looking calendar, don’t you think?) and saw the name of the series. I can imagine the thoughts that may have come to your mind: What does Doc Brown have to do with Jesus? Are the sermons going to be centered on the need to go 88 miles an hour to generate the 1.21 gigawatts necessary? Is there going to be a trip to Twin Pine/Lone Pine Mall? Will Huey Lewis and the News stop by as guest professors, lecturing on the power of love? Since you are wearing a life preserver, did you jump ship?

 

While these are great questions, I can assure you the title means something quite different. RCC Students is going to be looking at the early church for a few weeks, specifically in Acts 2:42-47. In these verses we see that Christians at this time were devoted to the Bible, prayer, community, and outreach.

 

We want to be about these things as well. So in our looking back to the early church, we understand more clearly the direction we want to go. We have to go back in order to understand the future.

 

I am excited about 2012 for RCC students. We have camps coming up, new events that we are putting in place, and a knowledge that God is supporting us.

 

Thanks for letting us hang out with your awesome kids,

 

Zack Thompson

Grown Up Christmas List

Posted on by
Reply

Dear Parents,

Christmas is just a few days away and I am sure I am not the only one who has not done all of their shopping. Task #1 after work is to go and get all of my shopping done. I have no idea where to start or how to go about it but I know that it will all come together. It always does!

This past December was a great one in Student Ministries because as we were looking at the life of John the Baptist it was a great reminder to me in my life just how trustworthy God is. God always does what He says He is going to do. Yet we worry all of the time! God said in scripture that someone would come to prepare the way for the Savior and He was right! God also said that Jesus would come and He was right!

My encouragement this Christmas to all students and parents is to trust in the faithfulness of God. We as human beings cannot be trusted all of the time but we have no trouble placing our trust in one another. Should not we be putting our full trust in the One who always does what He says He will do? God’s ways of doing things are not always the ways that we would prefer but He is always faithful.

It is my prayer that we would grow in our trust in God. Again, I want to thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to work with your children. I love getting to see them get excited to learn more about God.

Many Blessings,

Geoff Smith

 

Tis the Season

Posted on by
Reply

Parents,

Thank you for taking the time to check out the Student Ministry Blog! This is going to be a great way for you all to keep up with what is taking place in Junior High and High School Ministries. We will be doing our best to have this updated weekly. At times we will use this blog to keep you informed of events that are occurring and we will also explain where we are taking the students in scripture. There will be times when you will get testimonials from students as well as leaders. There is so many great things taking place in Student Ministries that we want to share them with you!

As we are officially in the season of Christmas, that means much is going on in all of our lives. It is the desire that our students will take the time this Christmas season to focus on the reason why we celebrate this holiday. It is all about Christ! To help guide our students to Christ, we are currently in a series on John the Baptist. This man was used by God to prepare the people for the Savior that was to come. We hope that this Christmas season our students fully embrace Christ and the hope that He brings us.

In addition to our series on John the Baptist, there is much taking place this month and next month that I would like to keep you informed about. I have listed these events below and I would love your participation in some of these events:

  • Parent Prayer Meeting on December 14th at 6:15 in the Fellowship Hall: Please come join us as we prayer over our ministry!
  • Christmas Party on December 21st at 6:45: The theme of this event will be a “Tacky Christmas.” We want students to come in their tackiest (yet appropriate) Christmas attire. We are asking all students to bring $3 to cover the cost of food. We will be serving chili and corn bread. If you are interested in helping serve food please email me at Geoffs@richfieldcc.org
  • Winter Camps: High School Winter Camp: January 13-16 with a cost of $255 and Junior High Winter Camp: January 20-22 with a cost of $215. All money is due by December 21st.
  • Challenge: this a bi-yearly conference for the Evangelical Free students currently in the 8th grade through 11th grade. Challenge will be held from July 1-6 in New Orleans. We will have more information in January, including a meeting to discuss the necessary fundraisers.
I know that I just hit you all with a ton of information but pleas let me know if you have any questions. Please feel free to leave any comments on this blog or email me at Geoffs@richfieldcc.org and I will respond to you all promptly. I just want to let you all know what a great time I am having working with your children. It is so much fun to see these students excited to learn more about God. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Thank you,
Geoff Smith
Interim High School Director

Welcome to the Student Ministries Blog

Posted on by
Reply

Dear Parents,

Thank you for taking the time to check out the Student Ministries Blog! I am excited that we have an online forum where we can provide the most up to date information on what is taking place in Student Ministries.

As Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the Christmas season begins right after, there is much taking place in Student Ministries that we would like to keep you informed about.  Below are some events that are very near on the horizon:

  • Turkey Bowl: November 27th at 2pm at Jessamyn Park (19115 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA, 92886). During this flag football game the students will be taking on the leaders/parents. If your child wants to play, please have them come to Jessamyn Park and they can play. Also, parents please come play too. I would love to have as many parents as possible there!
  • Winter Camp: High School Winter Camp is January 13-16 with the cost of $235 before November 30, 2011 and $255 after November 30th. Junior High Winter camp is $195 until November 30 and $215 after November 30.  Please let me know if you have any questions at all about Winter Camps!
  • Parent Meeting December 14th at 6:15pm: Please come join me and Zack Thompson (Junior High Leader) at 6:15 for a time of prayer. It is our desire for all parents to show up before Core Group meetings so that we can have a time of prayer for Student Ministries. This meeting will not be any longer than 30 minutes!
  • Student Ministry Christmas Party December 21st from 6:45-8:45: More details to come on this event!
  • We are not meeting this Sunday Morning for student ministries but will be back December 4th.

As you can see there is much taking place in the next few months! I am looking forward to all of these events that are coming up. It is our goal to build more commununity among our students and ultimately broaden their understanding about who God is.

Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the events taking place or any student ministry related issues. Also, let me know if you have an interest in becoming involved in student ministries. I love having as many parents involved as possible.

I have very much enjoyed my short time working with these students and am excited to see what God is going to continue to do in Student Ministries. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thank you,

Geoff Smith

(714) 403-5876