This Week's Feature
Pictures and Video
This summer has been very busy in the CYM.  We traveled to Nashville for Impact at Lipscomb University, Montgomery for a domestic mission trip, and Indianapolis for the mystery retreat.  All of the pictures from these trips, along with a few videos from the summer can be viewed on our galleries page.
Summerfest
This year, Summerfest will be July 18-22.  We have several folks signed up and plenty of jobs to do.  If you have not signed up and would like to help, please contact Becky McFall or Chris Humphries.
Lock-In
This Friday night (July 16) there will be a lock-in for all teens at the church building.  Come at 7:00pm with game systems, cards, board games, etc.  Snacks will be provided, but everyone should eat dinner before they arrive.
Welcome

This is the home of the Central Youth Ministry on the web.  We are glad that you have visited our site and encourage you to look around to find up to date information about what is going on in our ministry.  Our goal is to love God, love each other, and serve the world.  This simple philosophy is at the heart of what we believe it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

On this website, you will find links to our favorite publications, photos of recent events, and commentary from Will Grice as well as teens who live out their faith every day.  In addition, you can see what is happening from week to week and leave your feedback through our web polls.

It is our prayer that you will join us, as Paul put it, in pressing on "toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 14).

Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
A Trip to the Capitol
Montgomery is my second-favorite city in the entire state of Alabama. Gulf Shores is first only because it has a beach, albeit an oily one now. Montgomery, however, is incredibly historical. So many significant events have occurred there; as a result almost every city block has a story to tell. A person can go to the capitol steps and stand on a star marking the exact location where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as president of the Confederate State of America. From there one might be able to throw a rock that would land at the door of the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. labored for equal rights. Just down Dexter Avenue, there is a well-known hot dog restaurant where Franklin Roosevelt once dined. Further down the street is the Alabama judicial building where Roy Moore displayed his monument featuring the 10 Commandments, daring a federal judge to remove it. Marchers from Selma walked down this road when they petitioned their government in 1965. Of course, there are many significant occurrences in the capital city in modern times. Just last year, Senator Charles Bishop feebly punch another aged Senator on the floor of that chamber. I have traveled to Montgomery on many occasion, usually for something having to do with state politics. I have worked in the state house, and been up to the Capital City Club overlooking the city. Last week, however, I visited parts of Montgomery that I barely knew existed.
Only a mile or so away from the capitol complex there are numerous government-run housing projects. The people there are in many ways just like those of us who attend Central, however there are some very real differences. Our first task was to conduct a reading camp in one of these communities. The children were very loud and difficult to control. It seemed that we simply could not get them quiet enough to begin reading. Later, we learned that for those children, quietness is a sign of danger. On a normal day, children are out playing, adults are sitting on porches, and there is no fear in the teens walking down the street. However, on a “quiet” day, everyone stays inside as much as possible because they sense some sort of risk on the other side of their front doors. Consequently, the children at the reading camp did not like silence. If there was silence, as is usually required for reading, they would attempt to break it.
Our second task was to go to another neighborhood and play outdoors with the children. We did this in the early afternoon because “a different crowd” comes out around 3:30pm. With footballs, soccer balls, Frisbees, and jump ropes, we arrived at Smiley Court. The children were very happy to see us. They met the van with great smiles and exclamations of excitement. Of course, their parents were sitting on the porch watching to make sure they stayed out of the road and did not get into trouble. This provided the adults an opportunity to study and pray with mothers and grandmothers who to my surprise valued a couple of guys coming with Bibles to their doorstep.
Later in the week, at a different housing community, the teens spread out, knocking on doors. Typically I do not see “door knocking” as productive because people are generally unreceptive. This place was different. Several people invited our teens in to pray and even share a verse or two. They were eager to hear encouraging scripture and have another person petition God on their behalf. As one of our teens remarked, “I’ve never been to the projects armed only with a Bible.” Certainly, this got all of us out of our comfort zones. Not only were we in a stranger neighborhood, but we were doing things that we normally do not do. We were asking complete strangers if they wanted prayer.
Through all of the interesting and perhaps exciting experiences, I found myself thinking of mission work overseas. While there are vast cultural differences, all people seem to have a craving for God’s healing power. The way we approach people, whether in Africa or Athens, need not be too dissimilar because the need is the same worldwide. The main difference I would point out is that unlike “middle America” there are families on this planet who desperately need salvation of one sort or another. They have no choice but to appeal to a higher power for their physical and spiritual sustenance. It is our job to take the Gospel to them, to show them the compassion of Christ in the 21st century. To do that, however, we may need to examine ourselves and learn what it really means to be completely dependent upon God
View Will's Entire Blog
Central Youth Ministry is the teen ministry of Central Church of Christ in Athens, AL. Please feel free to contact us anytime.
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Happening This Week:

Updated for 7/4/10

Sunday-
Worship @ 9:00am

Bible Class @ 10:00am
Evening Worship @ 5:00pm

Monday-
Community Fireworks/Picnic @ 5:00pm

Wednesday-
Refuge Friend Night @ 6:45pm

Friday-
Leave for Mystery Retreat @ 9:00am

Regular Meeting Times

Twitter Updates



Summer Intern

This summer Chris Humphries, a native of Decatur, will be interning with the CYM.  He will be in Athens for Spring Into Action, and will begin his internship the first week of June. Read More>>

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