Happy Jesus' Birthday!

Happy Jesus' birthday everyone! Have an amazing Christmas and New Year!

Keep close to God over the break, and we'll be seeing you in February when Renewalyouth starts up again for 09.

God bless, Symon and Kristy

The 08 renewalyouth awards!

This years' renewalyouth award winners are as listed.

The best original song of 2008:

Winner: Kate Dowlman (Take This Love)

Runner-Up: Rachel Garton (In Wonder)

Most inspirational blogger of 2008:

Winner: Nina Buchanan

Runner-Up: Rachel Garton

Most prolific blog commenter of 2008:

Winner Stephen Garton

Runner-Up: Rachel Garton

The 2008 'Servant Heart' award:

Winner: Jed Yuhayco

Runner-Up: Alistair McColl

Most embarrasing moment during an RYM endorsed event:

Winner: Jason van der Hulst (Being told off by Henry Seely dutin PS concert)

Runner-Up: Sam Brown (Foodfight victim @ Overwhelmed)

The 'Enquiring minds need to know' 2008 award:

Winner: Sam Brown

Runner Up: Rhys Coutts

Well done everyone! The 2009 renewalyouth awards promise to be massive!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Renewalyouth is now on Facebook!

Feel free to upload any RYM related photos, videos etc. that you've got from '98 and beyond! Click here to go there.

Post a caption comp winner

For those of you who weren't at the last Flame of 08. The winner of the 'post a caption and win a tee' competition was Neen B. Her caption (which topped the 180 entries) follows:

Barbie: "Ken I'm really not digging these new space age outfits. They could have consulted us before putting us on the shelf."

Ken: "Yeah and they could have told me they were going to give you a perm....shudder..."

Latest study added: The Greatest Gift

A television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Christmas shopping is a very big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?"
Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"

There was some truth in her answer. Christmas is always a stressful time of the year. It shouldn't be really, but with all the end-of-year functions, family get-togethers and Christmas shopping, Jesus can easily be neglected, and the real meaning of Christmas distorted.

Click here to view the latest study uploaded... The Greatest Gift.

Overwhelmed pics!

As promised, below are just a few of the photos from Overwhelmed Camp. For many more candid and embarrassing pics and vids from camp, check out the Farcebook pages of some of the Renewalyouth tribe.

Overwhelmed Camp 09 is confirmed! Same location, Labour Weekend, October 23rd to 26th 2009!

'Why Me?' production this Friday @ Flame!

This Friday at Flame Youthchurch the Voice Dance Company will be performing their Christmas production 'Why Me?'

This promises to be an awesome event so please bring your friends and family! There is no entry fee, but a free will offering will be recieved.

7pm Friday 3 December @ 2 Tarewa Road, Morningside Whangarei.

Fish milkshake @ Flame

A couple of Fridays ago we had another Pod War. This time between Kate's Pod and Jamie's Pod. The catch this time was that the losing team's Pod leader had to drink a pureed Filet-O-Fish Combo.

The following photos tell the tragic (yet hilarious) story...

Overwhelmed camp 08... Thankyou!

Overwhelmed Camp was held last weekend. What a phenomenal camp, with awesome weather, awesome people, and a most awesome God!

For all those who helped out... THANKYOU SO MUCH! You are appreciated more than you know.

(Camp photos will be uploaded in the next few days.)

Mo-bros finale

Movember is over and I'm so stoked... I couldn't shave my mo off fast enough!

Thanks heaps to all the guys who grew facial hair for the month and all those who supported us. For those of you who weren't at camp for the Movember prizegiving, the results are as follows...

Most impressive facial hair: Les Boucher

Most stylish moustache: Sam Brown

Looks least improved by moustache: Symon Drake

Looks most improved by moustache and overall favourite: Jason van der Hulst

Pain @ paintball

I've just arrived home from a morning of paintballing fun.

Team 1 (my team ;-) totally annihilated team 2 (Jason's team ;-) in the first half, and both teams drew in the second half. Goodtimes were had by all... goodwelts were had by most. It appears Jeremy Pyle is immune to pain, and Reece Coutts won the 'best welt' award (last pic), a free ginger beer for him at Flame.

Voice Dance Company coming to Flame!

Refined arts and culture are coming to Flame (miracles do happen)!

On Friday 5th December, Voice Dance Company will be performing their 75 minute 'Why Me' production at Flame Youthchurch.

Check out the clip below, and make it happen! (An offering will be received for their expenses on the night.)

Mo-bros go paintballing!

I can't get a clear shot... he's using his mo as a shield!

This Saturday (22nd), as part of Movember, we (us guys with facial hair) are going paintballing.

We are leaving from CRF @ 9am sharp.
Cost is $30 plus extra $$ for surplus ammo ($5 of the $30 donated to Men’s Health).
You must give me your name if you want to play.

I have about 12 guys confirmed already, so there are about 6 more places available... Please contact me ASAP if you are keen!

Mo-bros @ playcentre!

Today, a few of us mo-bros spent the morning 'preaching the gospel without words' at Parklands Playcentre in Kamo.

What an awesome morning! We were entertained by the 'Goodtimes' band (photo 3), Lozza Langridge 'the biggest mo in Whangarei' made a surprise visit (photo 4), and 2 lovely mo-gals brought home baking for smoko!

Thanks heaps to eveyone who assisted in some way... especially Jason van der Hulst (site manager) for running the show, Brian Davis (legendary builder guy) and Rosvalls for the free stuff, and Paul Gosling (tree-felling dude) for giving us the mulch.

We are already planning more PTGWW community projects next so stay tuned, and get keen!

Post a caption, win a collectable RYM tee!

Create your own caption for this bizarre photo, make it a comment on this post, and be into win a genuine RYM Tee. There will be no more runs of the present RYM design, so it will be collectable!

The competiton will run for a month and you can make as many comments as you like (No dodgy captions please ;-)

This is last RYM comp for 2008, so get those comments flowing in. Don't hold back!

Mo-bros with gardening tools!

This Saturday all the Mo-bros (and any Mo-gals) will be preaching the gospel without words at Parklands Playcentre.

Meet at 26 Tait Street, Kamo (off McMillian Ave) at 8am. Will be finishing up at 1pm.

Please give your name to Jason van der Hulst ASAP and BYO gardening tools and play-lunch. Drinks will be provided.

Latest study added: The Porn Identity

This is the accompanying study for the recent guy's event 'The Porn Identity'.

Please note: due to the content, reader discression is advised, and is recommended for those 14 years of age and over.

The Porn Identity

Also, as porn addiction is now not just a 'guy problem' anymore, I will address the subject in a more generic manner next year at Flame.

Below is the link to the video we also watched. (Shelley Lubben, ex-porn star, now preacher)

Shelley Lubben Tells The Truth About Porn

The Porn Identity

I've had on my heart for quite sometime to address the rapidly escelating (and soul destroying) problem of pornography.

So, as part of Movember (promoting men's health and all), I am running 'The Porn Identity', this Saturday night from 7pm at CRF (cost is $5, resources and food will be provided).

If you are a guy, 14 years old or older, YOU NEED TO BE THERE!

(It won't be boring ;-)

Burton is now Seamless

I was keen on DeLorean, Rachel Kate was really hoping it would be Flannelgraph, others (who resist change) wanted it to stay Burton... but the votes say it all!

Flannelgraph: 16%

Burton: 20%

DeLorean: 25%

Seamless: 37%

The band formerly known as Burton is now 'Seamless'. For those of you who are wondering where the name came from...

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. John 19:21 (NLT)