Youth Room Redesign

After Wedesday's Bible study, Nora took the youth upstairs to continue working on the room clean-up and redesign.  We're almost ready to pull up some carpet!  Come on out and get involved with us, physical labor is great for the soul!

Youth Begin Room Expansion and Redesign

The teenagers in our church have had some unremarkable classrooms. 

Yet they are such remarkable people....

With remarkably creative, unique personalities . . .

Who have proven that they can learn, worship and praise in remarkably odd places . . .

We think they deserve a remarkably creative room for all their endeavors -- praise, worship, Bible study, and entertainment ("fellowship").

The youth group is currently cleaning out the upstairs rooms above the church library to redesign into the FBC Youth Center.  Plans include replacing the carpet, painting the walls and furnishing with recliners and couches.  We'd like to put in a big screen tv with Wii games, a pool table, a ping pong table, a mid size refrigerator and a shelf of excellent reading materials and study guides they can use for individual use.

If you can donate financially or donate any of these materials, please contact the church office, Doug Busbee, or Nora Johnson.

Former Youth Spotlight: Dakota Hunter

I haven't talked to Dakota in maybe two years, but I recently stumbled upon something that made me think of him and smile.  I follow this nerdy/geeky/AWESOME outfit called It-Ology and one day, right there on their facebook page, I saw this:

Dakota!

Dakota was in our youth group around 2003-05, was an outstanding drum player at WSHS, went on, I believe to play one year in the Drum Corps and is currently an Information Technology major at USC and teaching these middle school kids the basics of HTML at It-Ology in Columbia.  The video below comes from a two week camp for middle school students who want to learn more about basic computing.

Youth Join Adults on Mission Trip 2011

Mission Trip 2011 (not pictured: Mike Malphrus)  St. Clairsville, OH   July 17-23, 2011

Our mission team has departed to Ohio for a week of ministering with Emmanuel Baptist Church in St. Clairsville, OH.  During the week, they will be constructing a shower trailer, building steps for an elderly couple's home, assisting the church with their VBS and hosting a Back Yard Bible Club.
Specific Prayer Needs:

• Emmanuel Baptist's members will be ministered to and encouraged
• Emmanuel and our team will be able to reach out to the community
• Safe travel and protection for team members
• The Holy Spirit will have complete control and leadership
• Every stronghold against the gospel will be broken down
• Souls will be saved

Sunday night update:
The team experienced a flat tire.
So thankful for the young people of our church being able to be involved and helpful -- Ethan Busbee changed the tire ....


....while the others were very patient and kept their spirits up.

Don't they look very mission-trip-esque here?  It looks like they are in a poor village on some foreign land or something.

Pray for the team this week!

Former Youth Spotlight: Stephanie Carver Blume

I caught up with Stephanie Carver recently when we both found ourselves at what we somewhat tongue-in-cheek referred to as "the Loser Table" at a charity raffle. 

Stephanie was probably in Junior High when she first came to FBC.  She was in my GA Class (Girls in Action) back in the day when the GAs and the RAs (boys class) were quite competitive and we would do things like ambush the boys during class and spray perfume all over them or bake them brownies loaded with tobasco sauce.  Stuff like that.  Stephanie grew up sandwiched between two brothers so she had stuff in her arsenal I could only dream of, she was a real asset to our GA class back in those days.


Today Stephanie spends her time as a nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit at Providence Hospital.  Her free time is divided up among the two men in her life -- Patrick and Oliver -- one, a husband, the other, a cat.  Of course, Cocky still holds a special place in her heart, too.

Stephanie is livin' large and enjoying life right now, making dreams come true.  When asked where she sees her life in five years, Steph alludes to more education, but she doesn't exactly commit to it, "I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.  I do plan on going back to school, but I have no clue for what yet.... and I'm OK with that for right now."  She's very happy with nursing and she enjoys traveling, reading, shopping, and.... well.... eating.  She sheepishly admits a freakish fascination with pineapples right now.  Kind of like Forrest Gump's Bubba and his shrimp fetish, she says all dreamy-like, "fresh pineapple, pineapple pizza, pineapple salsa, pineapple upsidedown cake, pineapple salad, pineapple fruit drinks....."

I asked Steph what she misses about Wagener, "My family and friends," she said.  "I love coming home to see and catch up with everyone.... and I've been trying to do that more often.  Which kind of ties in with the whole 'what have I learned since I left' question.  I've learned to appreciate and actually show that I appreciate the family and friends that I love so much."

Stephanie's still as bubbly and intoxicating as she always was, still has the same smile on her face and pep in her step.  "The thing that inspires me from day to day," she concluded, "is the thought that each day is a different day.  Even if I made mistakes yesterday, today I have a new chance to change or improve who I am or the way I do things."

LUL Raving Fans Video Contest

C'mon FBC Wagener Youth, you guys can enter this contest!  Make a video to prove you are LUL's biggest fans.  Wear your LUL shirts, use your LUL water bottles, anything you have "LUL," stick in the video with you.  You have to use people who will be attending this summer and you have to keep it under 2 minutes.

Look Up Lodge Raving Fans Video Contest from Look Up Lodge Productions on Vimeo.

Click here for more information.
Ready? Set? Go!!

Winterjam 2011, Columbia SC

FBC Youth recently attended WinterJam '11 which has become an annual event for us.  As usual, they saw some old friends including Jimmy Steen and the Frasers -- Jordan, Anslee and Brenna.

The following is a report from Shannon Williams Christofferson, a brave and honorable chaperone.

We loaded the bus and I was taking pictures of everyone so we knew what they had on (just in case).  Needless to say, they all thought I was crazy.  When I told Gabby to look at me, she threw up the crazy face.  She was so excited.  This was to be her very first concert.

We stopped at Zaxby’s to fill up before the concert.  Poor Libby and her friend got stuck sitting with Dad!

 Still at Zaxby’s filling up.  This picture took three attempts.  Hunter kept looking every direction except towards the camera.  So Grayson wrapped his arm around him and forced him to focus!

Two chaperones at the very beginning of the concert.  We were happy to get everyone to our seats and accounted for:

The coliseum was packed.  Kids were screaming and cheering before, during and after every song.  It was an awesome experience to watch.  At one point, we all collectively bowed our heads and prayed for Jesus to forgive us our sins.  Then they asked the people who had never prayed for it before to stand up and cheer.  There were so many that cheered!  It was an amazing feeling to hear all of those kids accepting Christ in the middle of a concert.

Cody was so happy and having so much fun.  All of the kids were really getting into the music and the movements. 

April is an amazing child of God!  Every time I went to take her picture she would stop moving.  Through the entire event, she danced and sang.  April has no inhibitions about worshipping God the way she wants.  We could all take a lesson from her.

It was a Ho-Down good time!  One of the bands played a song that was reminiscent of an Old Southern Ho-Down.  Blake had to dance appropriately!

On the way home!  No one lost!  Everyone tired!  All still going strong!  Fun was had by all! 

Click here to read about WinterJam '09.

Valentine's Day 2011

The youth did a fabulous job again with their annual Valentine's Banquet. (video below)  The banquet is a fundraiser where the youth serve as waitstaff and treat us to an elegant, delicious dinner. 

For the traditional Newlywed Game, we convinced our new pastor and his wife to play along.  It was a great opportunity to get to know them better.  Way better.  As in T.M.I. better.

A big thanks goes out to all the youth and the adults who worked so hard to make this a success.  Especially (not pictured) the lady who made the Red Velvet Cake.

Brielle and Erika did a great job hosting the Newlywed Game and pulling quiet, reserved people out of their shell.  

Enjoy the following video from the Newlywed Game.

Click here to see last year's video.

Baptisms at FBC - Wagener

Two ladies from our youth group were baptized Sunday, Lynsey and Katlyn Day.  One of our former youths, Erika Williams was instrumental in leading these ladies to the Lord and in discipling them, investing her life in them.  It is amazing to see our youth learn, grow and give, which is another reason I like having the Former Youth Spotlights featured on this blog. 

The baptism.  Baptism is one of those rare moments, like communion, that always takes my breath away.  I pause and think of all the years, all the people before us that partook in this same event, creating a sense of brotherhood, solidarity.  Reminding us to be faithful, to endure, to celebrate, hope & remember.  In the Old Testament, remembrance was significant.  Stories were imparted to generations, feasts and pilgrimages were created for reflection and remembrance.  I miss that.  I wish we had more of that.

I get a sense of that at times of baptism and communion and, maybe, this Easter with our Maundy service.  I think back to when our little rural church had baptisms out in Edisto Lake and another time when we had a few baptisms in my back yard swimming pool.  Times of coziness and fellowship, friendship, support.   And mostly I think back to the first baptisms.  When John started baptising people, they were all confused:

"The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.  John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water.  But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'" - Luke 3:15&16

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v 21 & 22   "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized, too.  And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'"

Can you imagine!?

We have the privilege of hindsight, but can you imagine being there back then?  Trying to figure it all out?

Makes me want to go visit the Jordan River!

...and I want to take the Day sisters with me.

Another Redneck Snowday

Former Youth Spotlight: Jamal Quattlebaum

I caught up with Jamal over the Christmas holiday.
Oh, I retained my composure acting all cool, but I really wanted to slobber all over him and tell him how proud I am of him and how I wish he'd come home to Mama Val's just a little bit more often. But he's a busy man. Busy, busy man...
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Jamal is currently living in Loganville, GA and working with high school youth at Graystone Church. Jamal credits former FBC Youth Pastor Jimmy Steen for where he is today. "He (Steen) reached out to me and introduced me to Look Up Lodge where I later worked on staff for three years. During those three years, I built relationships with the people who attend Graystone. Graystone brought their youth to Look Up all three of my summers."

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FBC has taken our youth to Look Up Lodge now for ten years or more. Having been on several of those trips, having my own kids attend for many years and having seen several of our youth go there to serve, I have to credit Look Up Lodge for grounding our teen agers and instilling in them the need to know what you believe and then act upon it.

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Jamal continued, "I learned so much being on staff at Look Up Lodge. The lesson that stands out in my memory is during one summer, I got extremely exhausted and I felt like I could not do one more day of camp and so I began to pray that God would replenish me and give me the drive to keep going and He did just that. So the lesson I learned is when I am weak and worn out, God is faithful enough to keep me going."

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I asked Jamal where he would like his life to be in 5 years. His reply? Full-time ministry.

"One thing that God is teaching me now is to deal in the moment and not look too far ahead. I'm sure we've all experienced a change from our plan to God's plan, and that can be extremely disappointing, so I am trying not to plan so far in advance and to enjoy what God is doing today."

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In his free time, Jamal likes to sleep, shop and hang out with friends. He has trouble turning his brain off his youth, though, when he is not actively working with them. His favorite food, anyone remember? Japanese! As he says, "I love, love, love, love, love it!" There's that bubbly exuberance we all know and love: true 100% Jamal.

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"The thing I miss most about Wagener is the community of people," Jamal explained. "There is no other place that can hold such people in one area. I still laugh when I look back on the times we all shared. (So do we, brother, so do we, just check Marj, Brielle or Erika's photos of your days here!) He continued, "Like many students after graduation, we had to separate and grow to become our own person."

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"When I die, I would like to be remembered as a guy who searched after God's very heart, just like King David. I want to love the way Jesus loves me and live the way Jesus lived."

-Despite my all cool composure, Jamal brought me to tears. We love, love, love, love, love you Jamal! You're in our prayers. Come back and visit soon.

Keep up with Jamal on his Facebook page: Brunson Jamal Quattlebaum.
And on his blog here.