COW

Alright, everyone, our Comment of the Week is back! Be sure to come back every Monday to see who won the COW award. Also, if you want to win the comment of the week, you have to comment on the blog so don't forget.

This week's winner is Miss Johnsey Erdmann! I appreciated Johnsey's response to the message on Friday night. She understood exactly what we talked about and I could tell it had an impact on her life! Congrats Johnsey and thanks for commenting!

Here it is...

Johnsey said...
I realized just how small I really am and the fact that our Larger-Than-Life GOD loves me is truly amazing

Fri Sep 07, 11:21:00 PM

You will claim your prize at the next Edge on Sept. 21!

Saturday Shmaturday

How was your Saturday? I hope it was restful and not too much of a letdown after such a fantastic Friday Edge. : )

Today I slept in and then this afternoon I slept some more! I love sleeping so much that it's hard to put words to it. Is anybody with me? I think one of the reasons I enjoy sleep so much is that I don't get enough of it normally. And when I go too long without enough sleep, I become stressed and, honestly, a little mean.

But do you know what I need even more than sleep everyday? The Word of God - the Bible. The Bible is to my soul what sleep is to my body. It is completely necessary and keeps me going. If you have a relationship with Jesus, but don't read the Bible, which is God's message to you, you will become spiritually stressed (and maybe a little mean!) That's because God uses the Bible to speak to you and show you what He wants from your life. So get some of it...everyday! Whether it's a Bible study, reading, or good teaching, make it a commitment to get your daily dose of Scripture. You might start to love it as much as I love sleep. And that would be something.

WIRED!

I had a blast tonight hanging out with all of you at Edge! You guys have so much energy. You were really WIRED tonight! But really, I hope you guys got the message tonight on how BIG God really is because of the amazing universe He has created, but also how loving He is to make creatures like you and me. Remember, He created us to have a connection with Him, to have a relationship with Him.

KEY PHRASE: God created EVERYTHING around us, but He created us to be WIRED to Him.

Make sure you come to the next Edge when we talk about how that connection was broken and how that broken connection was fixed. It's actually the most amazing message you will ever hear!

If you learned something new at Edge tonight, let's hear it!

SOW

Ok, so we don't have a Student of the Week this week, but Thursday will normally be the SOW day or Student of the Week day so I wanted you to get used to it. You have to be at Edge on Friday nights in order to get the SOW award. Someone will come and interview you at Edge and it will be posted within the next 2 weeks. Also, the great thing about the SOW is that we will also be praying for that student on the week that they win it! What a great thing!

DON'T FORGET ABOUT EDGE TOMORROW NIGHT FROM 7-9 PM! BE THERE!

Hey Parents!

IN THE TRENCHES- NEXT MEETING THURSDAY 9/6: A time for parents, and anyone
else who has a heart for students, to come together in prayer. We meet
from 7-8 PM the first Thursday of the month in Room 17 (downstairs). Also check out the great resources available in our library. Look for the "In
The Trenches" sign on the shelf. Copies of "ENGAGE" are available in the
Info Center off the atrium.

AGOW!

Hey everyone! This weeks AGOW is "nudge"

enjoy!

Endurance

Are you tired? Are you weary? Do you need encouragement? Read Hebrews 12:1-4. This morning at Edge, we talked about running the race and stripping off the sin that slows us up in our race of life. These things can only be done by looking at the endurance of Jesus Christ on the cross, being put through horrible beatings, being mocked, being put to shame, and eventually dying on the cross to take our place. That, my friends, is endurance! Let's be in awe of Christ today and be encouraged that he went through all of that so we don't have to. Rest in that today! You are loved more than you could possibly imagine!
Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Autumnal Bliss

I know that Fall hasn't truly arrived, but don't you sense that most enchanting time of year hanging all around you? The air feels crisp and light as the summer months gracefully slip away and my arms tingle at the thought of pulling on a fall sweater. The leaves wait impatiently to show their true shades, have us a marvel for a few cherished moments, and then drift to the ground to be gleefully and purposefully crunched underfoot.

Too dramatic? Maybe! But that's the autumnal bliss that I can't shake!

Much of life is spent looking forward to something. Right now I'm looking forward to Fall and it changes the way I go about my day. I'm happier because I am excited for what is to come and instead of planning for hot, summer days, I plan for cool days and all that comes with them. Or, fast forward to December. Then you'll be looking forward to winter break. You might find that you have some extra motivation at school because you have a vacation ahead.

Our entire life should be looking forward to one thing, though, and that's eternity with Jesus! If you are constantly thinking about Christ and what comes after this life, it will radically change each day. That would make some things - like what clothes you wear or what restaurant you eat at - unimportant and other things - like being obedient to Christ and loving people - more important. It's basically a matter of asking yourself what matters in the long run....what matters to Jesus.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4: 18

What is your favorite part of Autumn?

Late Night Video Available!

Want to get a second look at the Late Night Video? just click here or look for it on the sidebar in the Videos section! enjoy

AGOW!

Hey there everyone! After seeing a whole bunch of new faces at the Late Night on Saturday, i figured this would be a great time to remind everyone just what the AGOW is!

AGOW stands for "addicting game of the week" and it's always posted on tuesdays. We try to pick a fun game that anyone can play but that's also easy to spend a lot of time on (that's the addicting part!).

The best part about the AGOW is that everyone can put their best scores in the comments and we can have a little competition to see who can get the highest score at that weeks game!

So without further ado... the AGOW for this week is.....

AVALANCHE!

jump up the blocks while avoiding the rising liquid! and don't forget to post your high score!
(mine was 120 ft)

It's only the beginning!

Hey guys! I hope everyone who is reading this had a great time at the Late Night last night. I hope you are also already checking out our website. If you are new to the site or old to the site, please give us some Late Night comments. How was it?

Great job on inviting friends last night! That was amazing to see all of you inviting your friends to hear the most important message in the world!

The fun is not over and as a matter of fact, we've only just begun. Now it's up to you to invite your friends back to edge. Bring them back to hear about the God who has saved us. It's not fair to not give them a chance to experience the same God and the same love that was given to us.

So remember, on September 7th, invite the same friends back! All our welcome! It's gonna be great!

1 Day left...

Hey everyone, we are less than 24 hours away from the big night! It's gonna be great. Make sure you invite some more friends last minute or maybe even pick up a middle school aged hitch hiker on the way to the Late Night! Whatever you have to do, bring friends because this event could be the start of their life being changed forever which brings me to highlight number 5...

5. Wired: Created for Connection

Come and see how this year's edge theme will guide you and your friends to realize that you were created for a deep connection with the one who created you. You don't want any one you know to miss out on an opportunity to hear about the fact that they were created for an amazing connection. Get wired!

2 Days...

That's right folks...the word is out...there is a Late Night buzz right now. Middle School Students all over Ohio and even surrounding states are talking about this year's Late Night.

4. The Famous Iron Man

This is a Late Night classic. The Iron Man has been a part of many past Late Nights, but not last year so we are please to bring this very popular inflatable back! Race your friend through the obstacle course!

Keep asking friends and don't stop...you know there are more friends to ask.

3 days until the Late Night

All right, 3 days folks. Keep inviting more people!
Here is today's Late Night attraction and another great reason to join us this Saturday and invite your friends!

3. Cotton Eyed Joe will be there again!

Cotton Eyed Joe has been a great Late Night tradition and he is coming back this year all the way from Tennessee. I just hope he makes it in time. I heard he actually had a dentist appt the same day.

4 Days Until Late Night

All right everyone, the count down is still on and we have 4 days until the big event and the edge kick off.

2. Climbing Wall

Making it's first appearance at the edge Late Night, we have a 5 person climbing wall for those of you who like the challenge of scaling a wall. If you have ever climbed before, it's a blast and it's fun to watch your friends climb as well. It always seems so much higher when you are at the top.

the countdown continues...
keep inviting friends and keep bugging them until they are so annoyed that they come just so you will shut up.

5 days until Late Night 2007

Edge Late Night will kick off in 5 days from now and I hope you are as pumped as I am about it. If you haven't invited friends yet for this, start doing so. Each day this week, we are going to give you a reason why you should come to Late Night and bring as many friends as possible!

1. The Eurobungy

I don't know if you remember last year, but we had a bungy trampoline set up and it was a hit, but the line was too long, so this year, we will have a Eurobungy with 4 bungy tramps in 1 so more people can have more fun. It's gonna be great. Check it out! Oh yeah, also pray that it doesn't rain on Saturday!

It's not for you...

Many of you know that the 2007 Edge Late Night is coming next Saturday from 8-Midnight. I need to tell all of you a little secret...it's not for you. The Late Night is not really for you, but it is an outreach and the whole reason we have it is to bring middle school students to our church who do know Christ and who may have never been to church before. So as you start to think about this event, think about who you can invite and bring. Don't think just about how much fun you can have, but think about how much fun you and your friends who don't come to edge could have. We are going to have a great time, but please remember that our purpose is outreach and sharing our faith with people that are not yet a part of edge or our church.

This event is for those who are not yet here...remember that, and bring your friends!

And for a little incentive, you could win our grand prize by bringing the most friends that night...8, 10, 25...come, call em all...you could win an incredible prize!

Coach...

That's right, you can start calling me coach, actually please don't, but I just got a job as a soccer coach at Hudson Middle School. It's gonna be a great time and I am excited to get some boys into shape. This means, however, that I will be at the middle school much more often hanging out, coaching, etc. So I will probably run into many of you guys around the school. I also have several Edge guys going out for the team which is cool. If any of you guys play soccer but weren't planning on going out for the team, I encourage you to try out. The tryouts start on Monday from 8:30-10:30 AM. You have to be a 7th or 8th grade student at HMS, otherwise, too bad. For you soccer fans out there, check out this video of funny goals.


Don't forget to keep spreading the word about the Late Night! It is a little over a week away. Tell your friends to come and to bring their friends and then tell their friends to bring their friends and so and so on. You get the point.

Edge blog Exclusive: EDGE T-SHIRT!

Here's an exclusive first look at this year's Edge T-Shirt!



You can get your very own starting at the Late Night for only $5!



Bring your money. Buy a shirt. Spread the word!

Edge Band Tryouts!!

Info Packets can be found downstairs in Room 8 & 9. To sign up for a time slot, have your parents call Jonathan for more info: 330-650-9533 ex 323

Parent Meeting!

Sorry, guys, this post is for the parents...make sure to tell them about it!

When: Sunday, August 19th from 12:40-1:30pm (after 3rd hour)

Where: In the HCC Gym

Who: Parents of middle school students! Parents are a vital part of our ministry and we need you to partner with us! Come and learn more about EDGE and how you can be involved!

Lunch will be provided. Contact Jillian Stouffer at ext. 320 or jillian.stouffer@hudsonchapel.org with questions.

LATE NIGHT '07

August 25th

8pm-12am

at Hudson Community Chapel

*great food *prizes *inflatables

*games *a vital message

*the night of your life!

General Information For Parents-

Medical and release forms are not necessary because students at no time will be permitted to leave the property.

Admission cost is $10.00 at the door. There is no pre-registration. Cost is primarily for food and game materials. Students will have the opportunity to purchase this year’s Edge t-shirt for an additional $10 throughout the night.

Students can be dropped off at the front of the church (Rte. 303 side) at 8:00 p.m. Pickup is at 12:00 midnight at the same location.

Students will be supervised by adults at all times without exception. (We expect between 400 and 500 students. As a result, we will have over 75 adults for supervision and security throughout the night, as well as Hudson Police Department presence.) Furthermore, all voluntary supervision will be required to check in to receive a special name tag and to ensure that they are a part of the supervision team that has received pre-event training.

Students will be outside for the majority of the event. In the rare case of cool weather, long sleeves are encouraged.

All game equipment is made out of soft inflatable material and proven to be very safe. Each game is supervised and organized by an adult and/or trained facilitator.

This is not a Hudson Middle School sponsored event. For any questions about anything concerning this Late Night event, feel free to call or email the Director of Middle School students at the number or address below.

A parent hospitality room will be open for the duration of the event. Come in and enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack while you wait.


The Late Night is sponsored by Edge, which is the ministry to middle school students at Hudson Community Chapel. Edge meets on the 1st and 3rd Friday nights of each month from 7-9 PM.


Todd Iannetta
Director of Middle School Students
Hudson Community Chapel
Phone: (330) 650-9533
Email: todd.iannetta@hudsonchapel.org

Multiplication

What is the purpose of your life? If you were at Edge this morning, what did you learn? Was anyone challenged by the Great Commission? I would like to hear about it if you were. Remember that if we each decided to help make a disciple of one other person, we could start multiplying ourselves, and blow the top off of edge. The disciples were ordinary people just like us who failed and struggled and had plenty of problems, but those men changed the world because of Christ. Who says you can't do the same?

Don't forget some announcements!
EDGE LATE NIGHT--Saturday, Aug. 25th from 8-midnight. The person who brings the most guests will take home the grand prize and trust me it's worth it.

Also, those who will be freshman, your last day of Edge is next Sunday, August 19th.

This Sunday!

Don't miss Edge this Sunday if you will be in town! We only have 2 weeks left until we say goodbye to the freshman. So in light of that, we are going to be talking about "Living Life on Purpose." Do you ever wake up in the morning with no purpose and or no real reason for living? It happens, so we are going to go back to the basics and talk about why God has placed us on this earth. See you there.

Remember, ALL INCOMING FRESHMAN! YOUR LAST DAY AT EDGE IS SUNDAY, AUGUST 19!

Edge Hang Out Night!

Don't forget about our hang out night tonight! We have some special guests coming tonight. A band called "Forever is Waiting" (aka Maddie's band) will be performing for us in the high school room! So we will be jamming along with the band, hanging out, having some pizza, and playing some games. Want to hear a sample of Forever is Waiting, CLICK HERE!

Look forward to seeing you there from 7-8:30 TONIGHT!

AGOW!

Hey all, it's AGOW time!

the Addicting Game for this week is similar to some other games we've had in the past (did you know that you can play all of our old games by going to the "addicting game of the week" tag on the sidebar?check it out!) but with a twist.

enjoy "Gravity Pods"

The Happiest Place on Earth

Jillian and I just got back from our vacation in Florida with my family, and one of the days, we spent at Disney's Magic Kingdom. They call it the happiest place on earth. It was a wonderful day and we spent time riding rides, watching shows, eating lunch with Winnie the Pooh and frolicking around singing zippity doo da. Ok, everything but the last part. We were with my niece and nephew and they were loving disney world, but by the end of the day, they were tired, crying, complaining, and very irritable. By the end of our day at the happiest place on earth, we had the unhappiest kids on earth. It made me think of the difference between joy and happiness. The truth is happiness only lasts for a little while. Joy is a complete satisfaction. Happiness leaves us wanting more. Joy doesn't leave us thirsting for anything else. Of course, the question is what is the source of your joy or happiness? Is it something of this world like disney world or video games or food. If it is, you will never experience true joy. A complete joy comes from knowing Jesus Christ and resting in his promises with the security of knowing you are his forever. That is joy.

It's good to be home and I will see all of you soon!

You shoud comment on this post.

Well, you guys, I've noticed that people rarely leave comments on the blog anymore. Why is this? I don't know the answer, but I know I want things to change! So, let's see how many comments we can get on this post. You could be part of a revolution! No pressure to be clever, funny, or interesting...just leave a comment. In fact, I'll give you a question to get you going....What word or phrase do you overuse? Or, if you don't find yourself overusing a word or phrase, what's one that you've noticed people overuse? For me, it's "Heck no!" Oh, and you don't have to answer the question. Any comment will do. And, if you leave a comment under your name I will give you candy at church tomorrow morning. Am I trying too hard?

Happy commenting!

The year ahead....

Hey, you guys! Just wanted to let you know that this year the Edge calendar of events will be online only. No more paper calendars...this is 2007. : ) You can find the link on the right side of the blog under "Links." So, go check it out. See what is in store for the year to come. It's going to be great!

I hope you're having a good day! You should go do something summery!

Optical Illusions!

These are all chalk drawing illusions from a guy named Julian Beever....pretty cool.

Batman and Robin

The hose and water are chalk.

There's not really a hole in the ground. : )

Which is your favorite?

AGOW!

Hey everyone, AGOW! time!

This week's AGOW is Triangles!. use the keyboard and the mouse to avoid the triangles on 2 separate screens. if you can't chew gum and walk, you probably won't be very good at this game!

"play with a friend, or split your brain!"

Be Deliberate.

Okay, here's the challenge for today:

Deliberately encourage someone today. In other words, be intentional about lifting someone up. Purposefully say something nice. Practice some planned kindness. Do you get it?

The fact is that human beings by nature are selfish. When you know Jesus, you get the chance to love others and be unselfish. But sometimes, it takes practice to love others before it comes naturally. So, today, why don't you make a point of loving someone else by encouraging them? The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. And trust me, thinking about others more than yourself is a way better way to live.

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4

Comment and tell me how it goes!

Post #270

Happy Sunday, folks. After I write this blog, I'm definitely going to relax. It's been a long week.
How was your week? I hope you are savoring each day of summer...August is only two days away. And you know what that means. School.

So, this morning we talked about two of the promises of God. One is that He promises to be your strength in times of trouble. The second is that He can give you peace and joy during those times, too.

The way to make good on these promises is to trust Jesus and live a life committed to Him. This is your part to play and then you can experience the beautiful things that God promises.

Today, enjoy the blessings of knowing the one true God. : )

p.s. This is a picture of my adorable foster brother. It has nothing to do with this post, but I just thought this pic was too cute to keep it to myself.

AGOW!

Here is your addicting game of the week. I am sure most of you love tetris, well this is basically another version of it. Have a blast with it and don't play it too long. Let's hear the high scores. Have fun!

TETTROLAPSE!

Leadertreks Progress

Many of you know that our Leadertreks Mission Trip team worked on building a deck and a shed this summer. We weren't there to see the completion of the project, but I wanted to give you guys an update of what it is looking like these days after several more teams came in behind us to do more work. Check out these pictures.

God's promises series

What is a promise? What promises are found in the Word of God? How do God's promises impact our every day life? For the next few Sunday mornings, this will be our topic of conversation. The Bible is full of promises if we just look so we are going to do just that. There are also things we think are promises from God if you are a Christian which are not true. I hope everyone who is in town can make it this Sunday as we take a closer look at the promises of God.

Peace is a Promise

I think that one of the most delightful things in the Christian life is realizing that God makes us promises in the Bible that we can put our trust in. I love discovering a promise in Scripture and claiming it as my own. Like that God will take your pain and use it for good if you trust in Him or that you can't escape God's presence and that Jesus never changes. Dwelling on these things is like rushing inside during a stormy day, wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, and watching the wind from a spot near the fireplace. Peaceful and protected.

Philippians 4:6-7 has a promise that I rely on a lot. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Do you see it? When you're worried, take it to God in prayer and He will give you peace that you can't even understand! Sometimes it can be hard because we might not believe God can give us that peace or we don't trust Him to take care of our worries. But when we really believe His Word is true and we faithfully come to Him, we get peace. Jesus is good!

Has God ever given you peace that goes beyond understanding in a hard time? Thank Him for it!

AGOW!

Hey Everyone!

Here's your AGOW! for this week...it's a puzzle game, sort of like tetris. How well can you fit the blocks into the space?

enjoy Phit!

What Now?

So Doe River Gorge was a great experience, a spiritual high, an incredible time of growth. This morning we talked about what to do after you have a really good week of spiritual growth and than you get back to normal life. Remember that it's kind of like jumping off of a high dive. You get a great thrill when you jump but when you hit the water, you have to swim. Since you guys are back from a thrilling time spiritually, you must realize that you have to keep it going...keep swimming, keep working on your commitment to Christ. Every day is a new day and a chance to commit that day to following Christ. Spend time reading God's Word, spend time praying and communicating with God. If you develop these disciplines, you will continue to grow in your love for Christ. I am excited to see how this past week will impact you guys for the rest of your lives! Don't let it end...keep on swimming!

Doe River Gorge

Sorry about no posts for the whole week, but we were all at Doe River Gorge this week havin' a great time and didn't have access to the internet. Since 65 students were at Doe River, there weren't a lot of people to check out the blog. So anyway, Doe River Gorge was a really great week! Most of the students that went took major steps in their faith in Christ this week and some came to know Christ for the very first time at this camp! Praise God for that! Anyway, thanks for praying for us if you did! I hope everyone can make it on Sunday because we will be talking about Doe River Gorge, what happened there, and also showing a video of our week. See you Sunday!

I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again....

Actually, I'm leaving on a bus and, if all goes as planned, I'll be back next Friday. But it's still a good song.

Early tomorrow morning, 71 of us from Edge are going to Doe River Gorge, an awesome camp in the mountains of Tennessee. Pray that we have safe travel and make the most of our time there. I trust that God will use it to teach us something more about Him. Even though I know I love Doe River and I'm excited to go, I'm a little sad, too. My brother is back for a few days from the camp he's working in Wisconsin, so I'm sad to miss most of his visit. Also, I'll miss my little foster brother....oh, and the rest of my family, too. : )

My point in mentioning these small bummers is to note something lovely about this Jesus we serve!

In the past seven years, I've been away from my family a lot. And the people in my life have moved around a lot. In the play of my life, there haven't been too many consistent characters. Know what I mean? But God has been my one constant, the one thing that doesn't change even when my friends, location, or job does. God's presence in my life is the same and He is the same! It's super comforting to know that His love for me and His grasp on my life remains. There's a lot of strength in that. So when I think of leaving my family, or something else familiar even for a week, I remember that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Actually, that's in the Bible... "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Happy Fourth of July!

Independence Day....are you feeling patriotic? I'll be honest, I've never really gotten into this day. But today, I'm really enjoying it. I ate blueberry and strawberry pancakes this morning, I'm going on a run with my dad, and later I might watch fireworks. I think it sounds like a simple day, doesn't it? I love that. Sometimes we need so much to be entertained and happy, but I think there's merit in taking inventory of your blessings and just enjoying them. So, today, I'm enjoying good food and family. How about you? What are you thankful for? And what are you doing to celebrate?

AGOW!

Hey everyone, here is the Addicting Game of the Week and it's a pacman game where you must fill 80% of the box...you'll see how it works. it's good and it's addicting. Have fun!

HERE IT IS!

Last Day of the trip...

Well, our time here is coming to a close. We just finished our last work day and we got a lot accomplished. We were able to finish building the floor of the deck and started on the railing of the deck. We also put steps on both sides of the deck. Then we put walls on a shed. Finally, we made 2 picnic tables to go on the deck. The whole purpose of the deck is to have a place for the church to hang out on when it's nice out. It is going to be a great tool to help this church grow closer to Christ and each other through fellowship. The shed is going to be another great place where the church can store all of their stuff because there is not a lot of space inside the church. All in all, God used us to accomplish much for the sake of His Kingdom! He also used many of you to be a part of it by praying for us while we were down here. I hope to see many of you on this trip next year! See you all Sunday to hear more about the trip!

Workin' Hard

Here we are, day 4 of our work here with one day left to go. Our team is learning a ton, and bonding really well. I love that our team has no cliques and they are all getting along. We are growing a ton here and it's fun to watch all of our students taking risks and stepping out in faith to do great things for Christ. Here are a couple pictures of us working hard on the worksite building a deck and a shed.