...existing to know Jesus and make Him known...

At First Pres, we try to be real, fun, intentional, relevant, and growing. We want everyone who runs into us to feel welcomed and comfortable... wherever they are in their lives and their walk with the Lord. Sometimes we do that, other times we miss the goal; but that's ok... we aren't expected to be perfect!

Feel free to drop by sometime (Kevin is always in the Youth Caves in the afternoons), read more about us and see what we're up to on our blog and facebook, or check out the links to the right.

Friday, January 27, 2012

February Calendar & Events

Throughout the month of February we will be concentrating on the 30 Hour Famine and how we can help those whose lives are threatened from lack of food or clean water. Want to sign up to be a part of this? Contact Kevin, or come to Youth Group for a fundraising/info packet.
The 30 Hour Famine will be the 24th-25th. Start your fast (not eating) at 1pm on Friday, come to the church at 7pm for an overnighter, and Saturday we'll learn more, play games, help at the Food Pantry and Christian Aid Center, and break the fast together at 7pm that night. Get sponsored by family, friends, church members, teachers, etc to raise money and awareness about the Global Hunger issue.

February 12th will have us going on a Progressive Dinner, in honor of Valentine's Day. This is a chance to get dressed up in fancy clothes and travel to 3 different places where we will experience different courses of an amazing dinner!
Meet at the Church at 6:00pm. We'll be back at 8:00pm. This takes the place of Youth Groups for the day.

Youth Praise Team is moving to Thursday afternoons in February, down in the Youth Caves from 4pm until about 5:15 every week. Want to play/sing/dance/etc? Come join in!

Want to go skiing? Every Saturday in February the church van is heading up to Bluewood. Meet at the church at 8am, and we'll be back around 5pm. Be sure to sign up with Kevin; we only have 11 spots!

SNOWBLAST: Sr. High Winter Camp is coming up March 2nd-4th, so register now at www.ghormleymeadow.org. Contact Kevin with questions or if you need a scholarship to attend.

Be sure to be in the know: join our facebook groups, CREW or DEEP, for the lastest on what's coming up and going on!

Friday, January 20, 2012

SNOWBLAST 2012: Driving Deeper

Hey, High Schoolers! SnowBlast 2012 is planned and waiting, March 2nd - 4th. Whether it's your first time to Ghormley, or you've been going since you were a wee youngun, you should totally come to this! Games, learning, skiing, tubing, music, and so much more! We'll be Driving Deeper into the Bible and what Listening, Obedience, Confession, and Community can look like in our lives

$55 before February 1st, $65 after. $30 gets you a lift ticket and ski rental. Bring your friends for an even more epic time!

Register at www.ghormleymeadow.org.
(scholarships available. Contact Kevin for details)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011


A few things of note:
- New this month is a chance for those interested to come together as a praise band: on Tuesday afternoons (beginning the 10th) we will meet together as musicians, vocalists, and Christians. Bring your talent and passion and we'll look at how to come together and lead others in worship of God via music (and more)...

- Sunday the 22nd has a few intriguing twists: mid-high and sr-high students get to help children's Sunday School at the 9:01am hour (talk to Sarah to help out), and the afternoon finds us across the street at the YWCA Ice Chalet for the Annual Ice Skating Party & Chili Feed. After skating, we'll come back for chili, hot dogs, cornbread, and many games together. Our special guests will be the youth group from Westside Church in Richland, so come welcome and hang with them!

Family Ski Van on Saturdays. If your family is looking to get up to Blue Wood, then join the group packing in the van and heading up ever Saturday in January. We'll leave the church at 8am and be back around 5pm. Contact Kevin with questions, or reserve your spot with Jenny Maxon.

Other events and details will be posted to the CREW and DEEP facebook groups and the youth website, so join or subscribe to get updates as they happen!

Monday, November 28, 2011

December Calendar & Advent


December... a month of celebrations, planning, vacations, holidays, resting, feasting, and so much more! 
We also have a lot going on this month, as you can tell by the attached Calendar. Regular Youth Groups, Sunday School, and Bible Study continue to meet, but to highlight a few special things, here's what is coming up:

December 16th-17th: High School Lock-In. Sorry Middle-Schoolers, this one is just for those in 9th-12th grades! Meet at the church around 7pm Friday evening and the doors lock until 10am Saturday morning. Games, movies, munchies, and more... what a great way to kick off the Christmas Break! (sleep optional)

December 18th: Christmas Parties! Each group has their own get-together at the McKibben's home (756 Wauna Vista, Walla Walla). Mid-High meets from 5pm until 6:30pm. High School meets 7pm until 8:30pm. The time will include munchies, games, white-elephant gift exchange (under $5 or wrap something to re-gift... there will be "back up" gifts if you forget!), carols, and more!

December 21st: Mystery Event (details to come soon!)

December 22nd: All-Church Caroling. Come meet up at the church and we'll load up in the van and head out to sing carols around the community. Brothers, sisters, parents, friends, etc are invited to come along! (Parents: let Kevin know if you can help shuttle students)

December 27th: All Day Star Wars Marathon! Whether you're a die-hard fan or have never watched them, everyone is invited to come to this 13 1/2 hour geek-a-thon Movie Extravaganza! We'll start with Episode I (Phantom Menace) at 9:30am and work our way through the rest, ending late in the evening (around 11pm). Food and Drinks will appear randomly throughout the day. Come for them all, or just as you are able! Got friends or family that are bored? bring 'em along!

Of course we encourage everyone to come to a Christmas Celebration on Christmas Eve (5pm, 7pm, or 11pm) and/orChristmas Day (10:31am). This is what it's all about, after all! Check out this Online Advent CalendarPaperless Christmas (or view vid 1 below)

video

Friday, November 18, 2011

Stone Soup & Turkey Bowl 2011

November 27th 2011


1) Stone Soup: We prep a Turkey Soup lunch for the rest of the congregation while they are in service (meet at 9:30am in the Kitchen), then everyone gathers in the Fellowship Hall to enjoy the meal together (around 11:45am), which will also include Kevin's homemade bread and Decorate-Your-Own Cookies!


2) the Youth Groups will head out to the big yard to play our Annual Flag-Football game around 1pm.


3) After the game, come down to the Youth Caves where Pizza will be waiting, and we'll have a movie afternoon. 


*NO YOUTH GROUPS IN THE EVENING. Come to the earlier stuff instead.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

November Calendar & Events

click to enlarge
Take look at what's coming up, as we have some different things in November than usual...                    ...for example:

November 6th: No Youth Group; instead, come to our Fall Uber-Good Dinner & Talent Show! Heck, you can be IN the talent show! Just let me know ASAP and you can sing/dance/juggle/mime/yo-yo/unicycle/act/fall/play to your heart's content!

November 22nd: Thanksgiving eve-eve Worship Service and Dessert. Any youth and/or family who can bake/make a taste-sensation in dessert form, bring it for this evening event. I (and other leaders) will be making espresso drinks and italian sodas to accompany your desserts! (let me know if you can do this, or if you can help!)

November 27th: Ok, this one takes some explaining; It's "Stone Soup Sunday", where everyone brings an ingredient to morning worship, and WE (youth) make soup for a big ol' lunch at noon. After that, we have our Annual Turkey Bowl football game out in the yard! The more come, the easier the work and the more EPIC the game! (also, no evening  youth group due to the epicness of the afternoon)
The 27th is also the first Sunday in Advent, where we look toward the coming of our Lord, Jesus... at his birth 2000+ years ago, as well as the future hope we have of his return to the earth. (virtual Advent Calendar w/ videos:  http://www.paperlesschristmas.org.uk/)

I hope to see you at youth group, during the weeks, and throughout the month!
- Kevin

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Wanna Go Deeper?

Wednesdays at 6:45pm in the Youth Caves we are studying the Gospel of Mark; what it meant to Jesus' followers, and what it means to us today. In between readings and thoughts we'll play games, drink rootbeer, and generally be chill. Both Mid-high and Sr-High are invited to come. Bring your Bible and let's figure this whole thing out together!