9:15 a.m.  Sunday School in The Refuge (grades 7-12)

10:30 a.m.  Worship Service in the Worship Center

5:00 p.m.  Discipleship in The Refuge (grades 7-12)

Hope to see you there!

There will be a Special Business Meeting imediately following the 10:30 a.m. worship service for the purpose of considering a recommendation from the Student Minister Search Committee to call Bryan Love as Minister to Students.

Learn about Bryan and wife Tamara here.

Meet Bryan and Tamara this Sunday morning, May 6, during Sunday School at 9:15-10:15 a.m. in The Refuge.

Bryan will give his testimony during the 10:30 a.m. worship service.

Bianca Baylon

Austin Cooper

Lisa Gorman - chair

Tammy Gurney

Kris Kelly

Angela Krape

Russ Schuler

Today I am leaving my office for the last time. The last 5 years have been an incredible journey at FBC Plano.  You have embraced and loved my family and me in more than ways that I can explain in words. We have enjoyed living in community with you as we sought to worship, serve, and live for Jesus.

I have tried to model one simple principle during our time here at FBC Plano. That simple principle is this, be like Jesus for the world to see. Show them something different than what the world has to offer. While not perfect at this by any means, God moved during our 5 years here in ways we could have never imagined. I give all the glory to God for the family we have become and enjoyed during this journey. There is no greater feeling in the world than being in God's presence in the midst of His children and I am forever grateful those memories here at FBC.

However, my sinful nature causes me to be a bad representation of Jesus sometimes and for that I am sorry to each of you. If there were times when you felt left out, you felt like you weren't good enough, or you felt hurt by some jokes, sarcasm, or nicknames. I am truly sorry for that. Please don't be frustrated at the church, be frustrated at me for not modeling Christ-like behavior for each of you. I ask for forgiveness from you.

Let me leave you with this quote from my favorite theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Yes I have a favorite theologian, and yes I am a nerd because of it.)

"One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons."

My hope is that our faithfulness to God's calling will be the last great message you here from Tasha and I. That following Christ, while not always easy, fun, or simple, is the most important thing in your life. Our reason for moving from your family is because God called us and we must say, "Yes, Lord, we will be obedient."

So I encourage you to live obediently for the world to see.

casey

Disciple Now 2012 is right around the corner and it's going to be an incredible weekend for sure. The James Curlin Band will be leading worship for the weekend and I know they will do an a great job of leading you to the presence of Christ for your worship times during the weekend. We will have our Bible studies, fellowship, and food just like all the other years as well.

Check out the James Curlin Band here: http://www.jamescurlinband.com/James_Curlin_Band/Home.html

The theme for this year is Kingdom Come. Our desire is to study God's word so that we can see what it would look like if we trusted Christ with every aspect of our lives so that the Kingdom of God became visible for us to see. We will focus on our identity, our relationships, and our actions and how they can help people see the kingdom in the world. Our theme verse for the weekend is Matthew 4:17. Take a look at that passage and all of Chapter 4 in Matthew. It's great stuff!

I will miss being with each of you during the DNow weekend but I trust in a God that will be here and all throughout the world during that weekend just like He is with us today.

Blessings!

Casey

Our 1st Annual Concert With a Cause is coming October 29th at 6:00-9:00 p.m. in The Refuge. There will be 4 local, student-led bands and artists performing on our stage. We hope to encourage and embrace music in a great way while supporting a great cause.

Red Thread Movement is an organization that we first encountered this past summer. Their movement is raising awareness of the global human rights crime of sexual slavery, particularly of women and young girls. Their work is being intentionally done in Nepal. 

Here are some overwhelming/tragic/shocking facts about sex trafficking according to their website:

There are more people in slavery today than at the height of the Atlantic slave trade.

Adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world: 12.3 million (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2010).

After drugs, human trafficking is the world's second largest criminal enterprise (U.S. State Department).

The global market of child trafficking is over $12 billion a year, with over 2 million child victims (UNICEF).

The average age of entry for children victimized by the sex trade industry is 12 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice).

There are nearly 300,000 children at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation (U.S. Department of Justice).

It has been estimated that 100,000 minors are in the commercial sex trade in the United States (Polaris Project).

Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls… up to 50% are minors (U.S. State Department).

An estimated 30-40,000 women and girls are trafficked across the border of Nepal into India every year (although most documents say 12,000, many Nepalese NGOs, including KIN, expect that the number is much higher based on the number of trafficking situations they're encountering at the border units on a daily basis).

In a single Red Light District in Mumbai, there are approximately 20,000 Nepalese girls in forced prostitution (KIN).

By age 16, approximately 60% of Nepalese girls in the brothels in Mumbai have contracted HIV (KIN).

These statistics are hard to comprehend and should break our hearts.

So the next question is how can YOU help? Come to the concert and buy a Red Thread Bracelet. They cost $5 and every penny helps raise awareness of this issue.  (You don't have to buy a bracelet to come to the concert.)

Check out more about the Red Thread Movement here: http://www.redthreadmovement.org/index.html

Hope to see you at the concert!

Casey

We have been talking with our students on Wednesday night about being intentional in their faith. It is something that has been on my heart for several months now and it has been changing my mindset and actions on a daily basis. When I first began thinking on "being intentional" it seemed to feel a lot like "WWJD?" It certainly has some aspects that are similar (constant reminder of the Spirit's presence in your life, thinking about your actions constantly) but I think it's different than that also.

The WWJD? model seemed to only come into my mind when a difficult or awkward situation would come into my life. For instance, when it came to tithing I would tithe because that is what Jesus would do. Or like when I would struggle my way through a morning devotional because I knew that is what Jesus would do. It's as if I only reverted to WWJD? after the fact. I would do it begrudingly.

Being intentional to me is different. It's about wanting to see a change in the world so bad that everything you do meets that goal. It means being prepared for every situation before it happens, not seeking to figure out what Jesus would do after your already in the moment.

Hugh Halter explains it like this in The Tangible Kingdom:

“When I walk into Starbucks, I don’t think about coffee. That’s predetermined…tall black Americano. I ponder the lives of everyone I see. I wonder about their spiritual journeys, their highs, their lows…and where they look for direction in their search. My initial assumption is that in any room full of people, very few know Christ. I ask myself how I could get into their lives or how a conversation might begin. I don’t see them as projects --- that wouldn’t go very far. I see them as souls the Lord loves who simply haven’t seen or heard an accurate message about the Kingdom. I always feel confident that I may one be talking with them about life and God.”

My prayer is that we approach life with this mindset, as partners with Christ, to bring the Kingdom to this earth.

 Let's be prepared for the Kingdom at every turn!

Casey

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 that we should, "Test everything. Hold onto the good." Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica about how to deal with people who are bringing doctrines to the table that were not lining up with the teachings of Christ. Instead of running and hiding from the issues or being afraid of the conversation, Paul encourages them to "test everything" through conversation. Once the good, and true, beliefs are found they should be held onto and the others gotten rid of altogether.

On our Conversation nights of Journey this fall we are going to be examining some Christian cliches and the impact, either positive or negative, they have on our faith. Too often people put too much stock in cliches and not enough in Scriptures and that results in doctrinal beliefs that don't always line up with the Bible.

This can create a "folk religion" or "folk Christianity" which Roger Olson defines as, "Folk religion thrives on cliches and slogans that fit on bumper stickers and resists their critical examination even by the litmus test of Scriptures. It revolves around cute or comforting sayings drawn from choruses, church marquees, and devotional books. It elevates to canonical status fascinating spiritual stories passed around orally or on the internet. Above all it resists any attempt to subject these to critical scrutiny." (Olson, Questions to All Your Answers, 2007, p. 14)

Our goal is to discuss some Christian thoughts floating around  and then see how they stand up against the teachings of Scripture.

It's going to be a great journey.

Casey

This Sunday the Student Ministry at FBC Plano begins their Sunday night programming. We will begin at 5:00 PM with our Discipleship time in The Refuge and then at 6:00 PM Cornerstone Student Choir will begin the Choir Suite.

Discipleship will focus on how we stay connected with God and how we can strengthen our devotional life. Many times I hear students say, "I just don't feel God in my life." Staying connected with God through the work of the Holy Spirit is extremely important for our relationship with Christ. It allows us to see the world, our relationships, our family situations, our character and life in general in a new, kingdom focused way. We must prepare ourselves for that through prayer and regular devotional times. For the Fall semester we will be addressing prayer and the devotional life during our Discipleship times.

Cornerstone Student Choir is always a great time of fellowship, singing, and service. Brother Doug does a great job leading the choir and preparing them to do great things for our church and on mission trips. You don't have to be the best singer to join Cornerstone either, you just need to come willing to have a good time and worship.

Hope to see you all there Sunday as we kick off what will be a great Fall semester together.

Blessings,

Casey

This past summer the Cornerstone Student Choir left the heat of Dallas for the breezes of California to serve alongside the great ministry of World Impact. We were led to World Impact by our partnership with Mission to Unreached Peoples and Dr. Kent and Erika Parks. We served with World Impact for a full week and it was an absolutely incredible experience for all who participated.

World Impact has a local office here in Dallas and they are discipling, training, and equipping people in their local community to plant churches and to bring kingdom of God like change to their communities. Our wonderful, God-filled experience in Los Angeles led us to come home and see how we can partner with World Impact on a local level. I have met with Ted Smith their director for Dallas and heard his heart for the inner city and it was certainly exciting. This Sunday in Sunday School, Lacey Arteaga, another World Impact Dallas partner, will be sharing with us during the Student Sunday School time. It's going to be a blessing for her to be with us!

During the service, Dr. Keith Phillips who heads up World Impact will be preaching and I know you will not want to miss that either!

Hope to see you there!

Blessings!

Casey

We are now getting ready to kick off the new school year and we had our first calling night of Journey this past Wednesday. We began by looking at the Lord's Prayer and it's impact for our lives. We discussed the issue of "being intentional" to make "God's kingdom come and His will be done." What does that mean and what will we need our lives to be to make it happen?

We are called as Christ's followers to help bring this kingdom into the world for people to see. And for us to do that we need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit in our lives and be intentional in our relationships with Christ and with others. To be intentional we must be open to listen to God's voice as it pertains to every situation and every person we interact with in our lives. We must be intentional to treat others as we would like to be treated, be intentional to be honest and sincere with others, and be intentional in our personal lives to grow spiritually and share Jesus with those who need to here of Him.

My prayer is that we are all intentional in our lives to allow people to see the kingdom of God, here and now.

Advent Conspiracy will force us to look at what we have allowed Christmas to become and whether or not it can still make an impact on the world. We will focus on our desire for consumerism and the impact that is has on our Advent time of year. Advent is supposed to be a time of preparation and calm leading to our celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Christ but unfortunately it has become something completely different.

I look forward to the next several weeks with you beginning November 28th as we discuss what it means to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all.

Blessings,

Casey

The weekend will consists of games, crafts, and a dinner out on the town. We will begin the weekend at the Gorman’s home on Friday night. The night will consists of good times for sure and girls will have time to work on a picture board for their bedrooms and play games. On Saturday evening, after a day of more fun, all the girls will have a night on the town. We will have dinner at a local restaurant and the girls will need to be picked up from the restaurant.

The cost for the weekend will be $20 up front and then the girls will need to bring money to cover the cost of dinner at the restaurant on Saturday evening. ($10-12 estimated)

Registration is underway and several girls have already signed up!

The deadline to sign up in Wednesday, December 1st!

Hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Casey

Folks,

Do you like watching movies with friends? Do you ever think that you could do a better job than the actors on the screen?

HERE IS YOUR CHANCE!

On August 21st, Journey Student Ministry will be hosting the 2nd Annual Film Festival in The Refuge!

Here is the plan:

• Gather people and get a camcorder!
• Come up with a plot for a 7-10 minute movie.
• Then GET THE CAMERA AND GET TO WORK!
• The movie should have a Ninja theme for our Round Up Sunday (Promotion Sunday) on August 22nd.
• Bring the film to Casey to view and get ready for Saturday night by Friday August 20th by 12:00 PM.
• Each movie will be graded on creativity, style, and humor. There will be no points taken off for editing. We know you are not professionals so don't worry if it is not perfect.
• Bonus points will be rewarded for getting Casey or any Sunday School teacher(s) in your movie!
• Prizes will be awarded for the many different categories.

We will have dinner that Saturday night in The Refuge, along with other games, as we watch the videos.

The incoming 7th graders will get to spend time with us that night as well. It’s going to be a blast!

So get your friends together and your camcorders and starting making MAGIC!

Casey

Folks,

Below is some information about the Summer Activities that will be taking place through the warm months of summer. If you have any questions about when these are taking place please don't hesitate to contact me and I will get you some dates. Hope to see you around.

Cornerstone Mission Trip– our student choir will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to lead a sports/evangelism camp for the week as well as other mission projects and entertainment. Cost- $300

Discipleship– our Sunday evening Bible study that allows students to study God’s word and discuss how to live faithfully in today’s world.

F³- (Friday Food and Fellowship) will meet on Fridays at 12:00 (noon) at the church and then head to lunch. After lunch we may hang out at the restaurant and then come back to the church to play some games. Students will need to bring money to eat at the restaurant.

Journey– happens on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM in The Refuge. This time is devoted to Bible study, worship, fellowship, and games.

Lunch and a Movie– is simply what it states. We will leave from the church and head for a lunch and to watch a movie together. Times for movies will be set once they are posted online. Students will need money for their meal and the movie.

Round Up 2nd Annual Film Festival– continuing on the tradition from last year. Students will have the opportunity to create their own films and include SS teachers and other adults.

Storytellers– a small group at the Cockrell’s house (919 Autumn Lake Drive Allen, Texas 75002) in which will tell stories from Scripture and discuss the implications for our lives in today’s world. Snacks will be provided but not full meals. 7:00-8:30

Student Summer Camp– always a life changing experience. This year will be at the Universty of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. All students are invited to be a part of the week and bring as many friends as possible. Cost- $250

VBS– all students are invited to come and help during this week!

World Changers– a mission trip like no other. We are heading to Lubbock, Texas to provide people in need with labor to fix their homes all while sharing the gospel of Christ with the homeowners and those in the neighborhood. Cost- $350

World Changers Training– there is some training that goes into WC therefore we must have some time to prepare our hearts and minds for this week.

Grace,

Casey

Family,

Journey Student Ministry attempts every year to listen to the voice of God as we plan and program our summer activities. This year we feel extremely fortunate that God has moved in some exciting ways to make opportunities available for our students to participate in times of personal growth and missions.

Our summer schedule consist of the following events:

Cornerstone Mission Trip- Tulsa, Oklahoma

June 19-25

Our Cornerstone Student Choir will be heading to Tulsa, Oklahoma to partner with Sheridan Road Baptist Church to lead a Sports and Evangelism Camp for children in grades 1-8. Along with the camp at Sheridan Road Baptist Church our students will be participating with Kids Against Hunger in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Cost: $300

Student Camp- Belton, Texas

July 5-9

Student Camp every year is one of the best times that students have within our Student Ministry. The camp is for students in grades 7-12 and it is on the campus of The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The week is full of fun and laughter but more importantly it is a time for students to strengthen their relationship with Christ.

Cost: $250

World Changers- Lubbock, Texas

July 19-24

World Changers has a great history of impacting local communities with the Gospel by repairing damaged homes. It is a construction mission trip but rest assured anyone can participate and succeed at this mission trip. 

Cost: $350

Let me encourage you to participate in each one of these opportunities this summer.

Hope to see you there!

Casey

Family,

Last Saturday night was our Family Game Night. The night was a competition between parents and students. It was a wonderful time full of Chick-Fil-A (AWESOME),. games and tons of laughter.

Here are some highlights:

• Getting an egg to move with a lunch tray is harder than you think. Right Allison?
• Junk in the Trunk! Best game of the night, classy moves all around!
• Audrey, you don't get credit for eating food off the ground. Trey, I am still impressed with your effort and completion of Cookie Face.
• The "Steady Hands Award" goes to Tammi C. and Tammy G. for their work with stacking those nuts.
• Trevor you should have pulled the Kleenex faster! Although I think the moms have an advantage there. They always are getting Kleenex to wipe noses.
• The puzzle game was intense and total teamwork, nice work parents.
• The Outlaw game of shooting the cans. PRICELESS watch Tasha destroy her finger every time she shot a rubber band. Her finger was raw after that game!
• James, how did those free throws go for you?
• The Hampton kids sweeping their parents, priceless!
• Tracy H. throwing Nolan Ryan footballs through the Hula Hoop, fast yes very accurate....well done.
• Ashley G. dominating the PVC toss game.
• Steve and Michelle U. dominating at Free Throws, nice shots.
• James C. beating his mom at Free Throws, wonderful.
• Ken H. bringing a wagon for Claire and Elli, WHAT A BLESSING YOU WERE KEN!!!!!!!!!
• To all the "Adoptive Parents", a huge THANK YOU!
• Nice job sweeping your parents Trevor! They never knew what hit them!
• Faryn, excellent job sweeping your mom also.
• Are You Smarter than a 5th Grade? Perfect for public humiliation.
• Having to look at more answers than I wanted to after reading the questions, very humbling to me personally.
• Important questions to know from this point on in your life following....
• What are the three primary colors?
• How many members are in the House of Representatives?
• What country did Columbus sail for?
• What river flows through the Grand Canyon?
• What continent has Mt. Kilimanjaro on it?
• Is a tomato a vegetable or a fruit?
• Does the sun set in the East or West? (Unfortunately I had to check the answer on that one. My pride was broken at this moment.)

If you have any other favorite memories please feel free to add them in the comments section.

Thanks for participating in the night and I am SOOOOO excited to announce that the STUDENTS dominated their parents!!!

Congrats Students and we'll see you soon!

Grace and Peace,

Casey

Family,

The day is arriving quickly....the chance to dominate your parents in a Family Game Night is upon you. This Saturday night from 5:00-8:30 in the Great Hall you will have an opportunity to battle your parents to find out who is more dominant...PARENTS OR STUDENTS?

The evening will start with dinner at 5:00 followed by all types of games. There will be group games and even some competitions between you and your parents so make sure you are there and ready to go.

Prizes will be awarded at the end to either the parents or the students.

Make sure you are here for the 1st Ever Family Game Night!!!!!

Casey

Family,

So Spring Break Awesomeness is over and it was an AWESOME time for sure!

Here are some things that were AWESOME:

• Fern made a basket with the volleyball on Tuesday night. It was unbelievable, but then I was reminded that it came from Fern and everything she does is unbelievable. Great Job!
• Maddie H. knocked me out at Knock-Out. I cried a little. Not really awesome, but certainly worth noting. 
• Brittney playing some excellent volleyball. Excellent job!
• BONK playing volleyball for real with her volleyball club outfit. What a killer serve! It seriously broke my wrist.
• Karina kicked the volleyball into her own face. That is not a typo, she seriously kicked the ball into her own face. Extreme laughter followed.
• BooBoo's arms are completely bruised from playing volleyball. But she did an awesome job!
• Tasha played better than I did at volleyball and she was still in her clothes from work. I am sad at that.
• Caleb and AJ did an AWESOME job of putting together a cast from our students and leaders to play the characters on The Office. Brilliant!
• AJ making fun of cooking on charcoal. NOT COOL!!!!!!
• Kassidy, quiet yet very, very good at Apples to Apples. I looked at her cards the whole time, sorry, and I was impressed with how she played the game.
• Abby and Kelly were truly genius at the Apples to Apples game.
• Courtney was very helpful in my playing, she guided me to victory. 
• Brownies and cake, enough said.
• Jackson got an AWESOME car!!!!!!!!! (Not really part of the week, but certainly worth noting.)
• Ashlyn and Chandler were AWESOME at playing with Claire. She loved the wagon rides. 
• Thanks to Hoskins', Gurney's, Shannon H., Jennifer H., Holman's, Warner's, Coach, and Karina for hanging out with our students this week! TOTAL AWESOME LEADERSHIP!
• Durd....sorry some things are so demanding in your life.
• Danny DeVito= TOTAL AWESOMENESS
• Country Burger is always greatness.
• Kyla making me laugh while the rules were being explained, NOT awesome.
• Kyla dominating at WhirlyBall = Awesome.
• Hannah and Jackson....way to take over that Air Hockey game. Who won? Whoever won, it certainly looked like brilliant play on both sides.
• Audrey having a BIRTHDAY today, AWESOME!
• Alex bringing two friends and then dominating at WhirlyBall, greatness. I was very impressed with your driving skills Alex. NASCAR here you come!
• William....sorry about Six Flags. Hope WhirlyBall was better. You were moving faster than anyone on the court when I saw you. Excellent driving!
• Rick G. beating Ashley at Air Hockey, not awesome at all.
• Erica beating Rick at Air Hockey, MOST AWESOME THING OF THE WEEK!
• Ashley taking great photos for the week! So talented!
• Art Spencer, the founder of WhirlyBall! You were so good Coach!
• Ashton Holman, you made your parents proud with your awesome play. 
• Let's give it up for LYMON!
• Tasha being the Hostess with the Mostess. She is AWESOME!
• Stephen was awesome at dancing behind the guy dancing on DDR. You are the dancer this country has been waiting for forever! Never stop dancing.

These were all the awesome, and sometimes not awesome, moments that I can remember right now. I know there were more. Please post your awesome moments in the comments section below.

Thanks for participating and see you Sunday!

Casey

Folks,

YO! Here are some great opportunities to be a part of Spring Break Awesomeness. You can bring yourself, you can bring a friend, and you can bring a friend's friend. All are invited to be a part of the great Awesomeness.

Tuesday, March 16th

Open Gym at FBC Plano from 6:30-8:30. The volleyball nets will be set up and basketballs will be available as well. Maybe even some wiffleball will be played. Whatever happens it will be AWESOME!

Wednesday, March 17th

Dinner at the Cockrell's house. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and other items of goodness will be served along with a good amount of time playing with Claire if you wish. It is going to be AWESOME!

Thursday, March 18th

What an AWESOME night this is going to be! Dinner at Country Burger at 6:00 (Parker and Independence) and then we will walk over the WhirlyBall for a great two hours of play on BOTH courts. There will be enough WhirlyBall for everyone! Total AWESOMENESS!!! Cost for Thursday night is $10.

Hope you can make it to every one of the nights.

Let me know what you think is the most awesome of this week.

Casey

In Matthew 22:37-40 it states that we should "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." When I think about that verse I think that God should be our favorite thing in the world. Jesus should be the thing we love and follow the most.

We love and follow a lot of things. My favorite three things outside of my relationship with Christ are my family, our ministry together at Journey, and the Houston Texans. Those are the three things that I love dearly. Stop laughing about the Texans.

So I want to know some more about you:

What are you three favorite:

• Animated Cartoon Characters
• Types of fruit
• Careers you'd like to pursue.

Post them and then comment on what other people posted.

Casey

The SuperBowl is coming. While many of you know my disdain for Peyton Manning and the Colts, because they beat my Texans twice every year, I do think that they are the better team going into the SuperBowl. Their offense is very good and their defense can plan well enough to let Peyton keep them in the game.

The Saints are a great story. The city that was destroyed after Hurricane Katrina is now coming alive again as their Saints are playing for the SuperBowl title. I like rooting for Drew Brees because he is from Texas and that gives me pride for our state.

So here is my pick, without any further delay. Since I always root for the underdog, ALWAYS (PS- Yes, that is why I root for the Texans), I am going to pick the Saints to win 31-24.

That is my pick, what about yours? Who do you think will win?

Casey

Our famous Flag Football Tournament is coming up on February 7th, 2010. Below are the rules for the tournament and REMEMBER the deadline to get your team rosters in is Wednesday February 3rd, 2010.

Rules

1. 7 on 7 format to be played Sunday afternoon, February 7th .  You can have two subs.

2. All team members must be signed up in advance, and MUST be in attendance on Sunday,      February 7 at FBC Plano for a 9:45 a.m. Student Rally and attend worship that morning.  (Breakfast will be served.)

3. A 2010 Medical Release Form is required to participate.

4. The championship will be awarded based on the total number of points earned by a team.

5. There is no cost.

6. Trophies will be awarded at the conclusion of the last game.

7. Deadline to register a team is February 3rd..

8. Only students in 7th-12th grades are eligible to participate.

9. All teams are co-ed with at least one girl in the game at all times. 

10. We will begin the tailgate immediately after the late service (free food), and games will begin by 1:00 p.m.

How to earn points

Win a game:                                                                                                              5 points

Lose a game:                                                                                                             2 points

Extra points for creativity, team spirit, uniforms, sportsmanship, etc.:  1 -5 points

Each team member not a member of FBC Plano:  1 point  (given once)

Be one of the first three teams to sign up 2 points

Get your team ready and WE'LL SEE YOU THERE!!!!!

Casey

This one is very simple.....what did you learn at DNow?

Casey

So Christmas is coming this Friday? Let me know what you are wanting for Christmas?

Here is what I am giving you for Christmas this year. Once you sign up for Disciple Now you will also be signed up for good times at WhirleyBall and Broomball. YES, that is correct. Disciple Now weekend will feature BOTH WhirleyBall and Broomball.

Both of those fun events to go along with a great DNow weekend of hanging out, worshiping and studying God's Word will be AWESOME!

So sign up quickly and get your friends together for what is going to be a great weekend.

Casey

Grammy nominations are out and Taylor Swift and Beyonce lead everyone with Beyonce getting 10 nominations and Taylor Swift getting 8.

So, who do you like more? How many do you think each will win?

Will you watch the Grammy's?

Speak up and be heard!

Casey

The newest movie to hit theaters is "New Moon" of the Twilight Saga. I never watched the first one and I really don't plan on seeing this one unless your comments on here can convince me to go and see it.

Here's your chance, tell me what you think and why you think I should see it.

Casey

I have been listening alot lately to a new CD that I got and I wanted to encourage you to take a listen. The band is The Glorious Unseen. We have been listening to them in The Refuge from time to time when we have our times of confession and prayer. They have a plain, simple sound. They don't do anything outstanding musically but their lyrics and worship is certainly valid and challenging.

Their new CD is called "The Hope that Lies in You" and I got it about a month ago. All of the songs are thought-provoking and insightful, especially "Sustain" and "Awakening."

If you have some iTunes money or are at Mardel's looking for a new CD, I highly recommend them.

Grace,

Casey

We have a great opportunity in front of us to make a huge impact with people that are meeting the needs of people in our community. God's Food Pantry is located in Plano and they provide food to those in need of food within our city. There pantry needs to be filled and we are ready to help them.

So here's the deal... each class will collect canned foods. We will collect this Sunday, October 25th, and November 1st. The class that collects the most cans of food at the church will get a night of dinner at Country Burger and then 2, yes 2 full hours, of WhirlyBall with your class on November 7th.

I know, I know....what a GREAT prize. So it falls on you now, bring food to your class for the next three weeks to help people in need and we will rejoice at what God blesses us with.

Grace,

Casey

Our lives are one big story. Our relationships with our parents are stories. Our relationships with our friends are stories. Our relationships with our teachers are stories. Everything about us is one big story. We love telling stories to our friends and we love listening to stories when they tell them to us.

Our story lives within a HUGE story of the world. The HUGE story is of God creating the world, our rebellion with sin and God's overwhelming desire to restore the world back to it's original state. This story is beautiful yet sometimes hard to listen to and difficult to understand. But it is the story we find ourselves in.

Are we ready to make that story our story? That is our goal on Wednesday nights. Telling the story of God and then making it our own by telling it again. These nights have been great so far and we are enjoying it greatly.

Hope to see you there...keep living your story and we'll keep telling God's story.

Grace and Peace,

Casey