Busy Summer Ahead

First, I would like to announce that we have added three new members to the youth group bringing our total to 15! Welcome to Derek Dean (9th grade), Noble Dean (10th grade) and Augenay Dean (8th grade)!

Second, congratulations to our seniors Melissa de la Rosa, Berenice Morales, and Whitney McIntosh! You will all be missed! Their graduation is Friday (tomorrow) at 7:30 pm at the Newport High School football field.

Third, welcome to more new additions (those moving into Jr. High): Alex Gomez, Jorge Martinez, and J.J. de la Rosa! J.J. will be in sixth grade next year; however, he has been accepted as an honorary member.

Fourth, we have a very busy summer coming up! Below, I have written our summer schedule. We will not be having our regular Tuesday meetings during the summer but will be having the special events below.

Sunday, June 5th-Friday, June 10th: Senior High Session at Camp Mitchell

Thursday, June 8th: Arkansas Travelers Double Header at Dickey-Stevens Baseball Park in Little Rock

Saturday, June 18th: BBQ and Pool Party

Tuesday, June 21st-Wednesday, June 29th: Episcopal Youth Event (EYE)

Sunday, July 10th-Friday, July 15th: Jr. High Session at Camp Mitchell

TBD: Lock-In at St. Paul's Parish House

TBD: Service Day to clean up the upstairs area of St. Paul's Parish House

TBD: Youth fundraiser

For those wondering what the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) is, I urge you to visit their website at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/eye2011.htm. Also, I have provided a brief description below.

There will be three very full days of worship, sharing, praying, learning, singing, and working, calling participants into a greater awareness of and commitment to God's mission in the world.

The Core Values of EYE
created by the Provincial Youth Ministers in February 2010

Focusing on Jesus Christ and his presence in our lives, EYE will provide an opportunity and create an environment where our young people and the adults who accompany them can continue to grow on their journey in faith.

Striving to be a uniquely Episcopal Community and acknowledging that each person is a child of God and that we are called together into a full relationship with God and God’s Creation, we claim that we are a sacramental people of common prayer with diverse understandings and cultural contexts, all of whom work together as the Body of Christ.

Celebrating our mission and our ministry as the Body of Christ in Community, we will offer training for young people and adults and equip them to be faithful servant leaders in their local and diocesan communities.

Embracing the “Anglican Marks of Mission” as our charge, we will strive to engage the passion and energy of faithful youth, to embrace their call to ministry and to empower them to put their faith into action.

EYE will be followed by Three Days of Mission, an opportunity for youth groups to engage in urban or rural mission. AR youth members will be engaging in outreach in Kansas City, Missouri.

We are so proud to be sending several of our own high school youth members:

Berenice Morales
Whitney McIntosh
Ana de la Rosa
Miguel Gomez
Monica Gomez
Cynthia Gomez

I will also be attending as one of AR's many chaperones.

Thank you to Randall Curtis for organizing the AR part of EYE! Thank you to Mary Craig for jumping on this opportunity! Thank you to the Vestry of St. Paul's for being so supportive of the youth group and our activities! Thank you as always to my parents for their unwavering support!