Ready For Herd, kind of...

Just sitting in my office between early Herd and Late Herd. The sunshine feels nice through the window. The 6th graders were fairly decent today. I didn't have to dole out any laps around the Student Connection building so that was nice. Tonight's topic is Salvation if you're not saved, and then how to KNOW that you're saved if you are a Christian already. I learned a lot preparing the talk so hopefully kids will take something away from it. I figure it must be needed by someone coming tonight because I've had a discouraging afternoon. Usually discouragement comes when you are trying to do something that the Lord wants and the enemy doesn't.

I have a young man who is way excited about mowing the Student Connection lot. I have a mower here at the STUCO just for such a purpose, but do you think I can find the keys for that mower? No I say not. So I went home to get my mower on the trailer and I was starting it to pull it up on the trailer and the throttle cable broke. GRRRRR. Trying not to be mad about it because I know it's just meant to be a distraction so no biggie. I do wish I could find my keys though. If you see them let me know .
God bless,
adam

What's up this week

Monday- I actually had a day off, kind of, day off and night on. We had praise band practice so that these boys can rock the Student Connection on Wednesday night.

Tuesday-I will be at STUCO most of the day I believe. I have lots to get ready for Wed. night. The 7th and 8th grade girls have a volleyball game in Hudson in case you want to see the best two JH teams in Iowa. After the game the girls are coming for supper at the Student Connection prepared by Chef Adam,(actually Casey's Pizza, don't tell). Then we have the special privilege of all getting into the varsity volleyball game for free. Thank you AP administration. I think it will be a great learning experience for the girls. Plus now they can spend more on concessions.

Wednesday- Early dismissal from school. We will have volleyball practice, for the same two girls who ask everyday. Early Herd will open doors at 130pm and start around 230pm. Herd Herd will open doors at 6pm and start at 630pm. NOTE-this is a change from last early out. We are going to keep trying to make this go as smoothly as possible. I don't think it worked well the last early out. Have to try new things sometimes. We are going to play outside if it's not raining so bring a jacket in case it's cold. Then early herd will discuss how we should treat others and the Herd will learn IT MATTERS- where you go when you die.

Thursday-more JH volleyball against someone, i think it's a home game. Maybe AGWSR. The boys play football against Grundy Center, but I couldn't tell you if it's here or there. I can't think of anything else, WAIT, coronation is that night also I believe.

Friday-YES we have volleyball practice 7th graders. Varsity football at home against Turkey Valley I think, complete with all the homecoming festivities. GO FALCONS!

Saturday-hopefully celebrating the Falcon victory and whatever else we all do on the weekends

Sunday-SPECIAL 180-we are meeting at the STUCO at 4pm to make a field trip into Waterloo to feed homeless people. That's right there are homeless people in Waterloo. We'll meet and then ride together into town where we'll prepare and deliver meals. Be praying about where to deliver and that hearts will be changed by the love of Christ.

Then the days start all over again with different activities filled in. Stay TUNED or webbed or logged or whatever you act right now that you're reading this. If you have more events I forgot make a comment below and everyone can see it. Unless it's a comment about how dumb and ugly the youth director is.

God bless,
adam

Should be doing something?

Getting ready for 180 and just thought I'd take a minute to write on here. Not like you'll read it anyway. Got you! Because you just read that. If you're in high school I hope to see you in like 20 minutes. If you're not I hope to see you Wednesday night.

In case you're reading this I'm changing things again. That, as you'll find, is what I tend to do. I keep changing things until it works the best way. Except for God's Word which never changes. What I'm getting at is that I didn't like how it worked with the early out two weeks ago. I'm still having the 6th grade Herd right after school. The 7th-8th Herd won't meet until the regular time. Doors open for 6th grade at 130pm on wednesday and 6pm for 7th-8th on Wednesday. So tell your friends. I'll put it in the announcements at school also. Thanks for your understanding as we try to get things to go as smoothly as possible.

God bless and see you later.

It Rocked

Thank you to the men of A PAST UNKNOWN for their service to our Lord and Savior, and for bringing us some loud music with a positive message. A Past Unknown is in position to reach the world through a style of music that speaks the language of adolescents. These men are genuine Christians seeking the Lord's will and they have a great opportunity to go and make disciples of all nations, but most presently our own nation which is slipping away from our Christian roots. So why not meet young people where they are. I have to admit that Hard Core music is not a genre that I pursue, but these young men have a heart for the Lord and a lot of talent. They have the drive to make a difference in places that may never otherwise see the light of the Gospel. God bless you fellas and peace be with you as you send the light.

Tonight is the Night

The night is finally here. I feel like I've been talking about this all year. Adam Aalderks' band will rock the night away. At the Student Connection building TODAY! Don't you dare miss it or you'll be a square. And you can rest assured that all of your friends will be there. Come early and stay late. This rock 'n' roll show is going to be great.


Okay sorry for the corny rhyming, it just kind of came out of me. You know "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Anyway the day is finally here. I really should be cleaning up right now, but my wife told me to break down my work into 15 minute increments and writing this should only take about 5.

The show starts at about 8pm and will continue until we are all tired of rocking. I'm getting old so that may be 930pm or it might just go all night (we'll see what the neighbors say about that, and my wife for that matter).

God is good and he has brought this great band to share His love and salvation with the young people of our community. So come, but don't bring a lawnchair, cuz you might get tipped over by some moshing teenagers. Hope to see you at the STUCO at 8pm. $2 at the door and there are is lots of soda and candy for purchase.

God bless you this day!
adam

Today was the nationwide See You at the Pole gathering. We had about 23 middle schoolers come to pray this morning at the school flagpole. What a strong witness to the other kids in school. I'm proud to see our young people taking a stand for their Lord. Being Wednesday, we also had Early Herd and Herd tonight. Early Herd did not go exceptionally well because my right-hand woman is at home being sick and caring for our sick children. The lesson part went slightly better than the rest, but all in all the kids were definitely on the squirrely side tonight. The Herd for 7th and 8th went pretty smoothly. Boys vrs. Girls dodgeball always SEEMS like a good idea, but maybe should not be attempted. I'm proud of the girls. They held there own and even beat the boys in one game. We'll have to try something different next week. They seemed to enjoy watching their classmates play the Barbie bike game. Somehow the boys were a lot better at it? So boys reign supreme for yet another week. The older kids seemed fairly attentive to the lesson about how to treat each other, and the band did an exceptional job with the praise music. There are so many talented young people in this school it's unbelievable. I have too many kids for the band I'm starting to have to turn them away which I hate to do.

Big volleyball game tomorrow at the middle school against Grundy Center. We're ready for them. Had a light practice today to rest up and we'll go after them tomorrow. God was good to us today as always and we look for more blessings tomorrow. Thanks for coming kids and thanks for allowing them parents.

Many Blessings,
adam


DON'T FORGET THE CONCERT SATURDAY NIGHT AT STUCO 8PM

sick kids no fun

I'm spending a lovely afternoon with my ill family. I should be at the stuco getting ready for tonight but hey whatever. My wife is also sick which leaves me in charge. I do much better with 60 middle schoolers than 3 toddlers. I love them bunches though. Tonight the early herders are learning about Jesus' death and resurrection with an emphasis on salvation. I figure somebody must need saved tonight and that's the reason for the opposition in form of illness. I pray that it goes well. Big herd is learning that it matters how you treat each other so if you're a parent and you're reading this hold them accountable to treat you and others well. Gotta go, rocky is on top of the intable crying and trying to crawl up my leg.

we tied?

Seventh grade tied Wapsie Valley in volleyball and the 8th grade lost as far as I could tell. We would have won if we could have played another game. GO FALCoNS! We'll have to run a lot tomorrow to counteract the sour taste of tieing. Riding on the bus with 40 middle school girls is a special treat. They are so calm and quiet. It's really hard to tell they are even here ;). Okay peace out!

Welcome to the Student Connection

The Student Connection welcomes you to its blog site. For years we have had a great ministry here in Aplington and no real website to show for it. This is my attempt to remedy that problem. In the near future I will be posting and keeping updated a complete calendar of events for STUCO. I will also be posting videos and movies of ministry material or funny youtube videos if needed. This will hopefully become and online gathering place for all of the Herdlings and 180 students. So stay tuned. in the meantime here is a brief schedule for this week...



Sept. 21st 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball @ Waspsie Valley GO FALCONS!!!!!

Sept. 23rd See You at the Pole
meet at STUCO at 7am for breakfast, 745am at school pray at the flagpole

Sept. 23rd Early Herd-open 330pm, program @430pm roughly
Herd-open 6:00pm, program @ 630pm

Sept. 24th 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball home against Grundy Center

SEPT 26TH- A PAST UNKNOWN- Adam Aalderks' band live at the Student Connection
8pm Saturday Night, $2 admission. Come early and stay late you won't be disappointed, but maybe bring earplugs. They are good and loud

MORE TO COME!!!!


God bless you all this week and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday morning!!!