(B)aptist (Y)outh (G)athering.....This Friday!!!!

Hello to all!!!

Who can guess what we're doing for Youth this Friday???

Anyone??

Ok, I'll give you a clue, it's all in the title!

Well incase you cant get the clue, the extra-ordinary Youth of Gawler Baptist are going to BYG..... in other words, The Baptist Youth Gathering!!!

We've been to 2 so far, and from what I can tell WE LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

I don't know how anyone else feels when we go to B.Y.G or even after we've been. But I know for me, when I know I'm going to Baptist Youth Gathering, I seem to mysteriously have the worst week in record. It's almost like the devil is trying to hold me back from going and being with all the other Baptist Youth in South Australia and freely praising God until I go blue in the face, so to speak of course!

I feel a pressure on me as we travel to the event, it's like a war is being waged inside my head and to be honest it scares me. But as we enter the doors of the venue where we are going to praise God, something inside me shifts. 

It's like all that is bad, that tries to attack me on the way to BYG gets scared and leaves. 

I love this feeling. It's that freedom that Jesus died for. I've walked through the doors into a sanctuary where I, and many others like me are safe to praise God and not worry about the dark one interrupting. 

As the Baptist Youth of South Australia, we have an extra-ordinary power and strength because of the Lord, God Almighty. 

When we stand in that room and lift our hearts and praises to the Lord, I feel as if He's there with us. Supporting us, showing us that we have the strength and the power in His name to accomplish amazing things. To have the world stop and stare in wonder at His work, that we were the able hands for.

God is so amazing!!

In the couple of hours we are at BYG I go from feeling scared, nervous, and exhausted.... to feeling uplifted, inspired, loved, extra-ordinary, and a beautiful child of God.

I know it shouldn't take a gathering like this to bring these things out in us, but sometimes it does. 

As youth of today, we have SO much to contend with and often we forget how truly special and perfect we are in the eyes of our Lord. 

When we as Gawler Baptist Youth group go on Friday to the Baptist Youth Gathering, I encourage us all to open our hearts, and our minds to the Lord. No matter what has happened during our week, Friday night is the night to just let go of it all and hand it to God, because these are not things you need to carry around with you.

Also on a little side note, Father we want to thank You that You are now taking care of the amazing Jimmy MacLennan. We will all miss Jimmy very, very much, but we will rejoice with Marlene that his now dancing in Your presence and enjoying eternity!! xoxo

Much love and God Bless you all

Hailey

Term 2 Begins!!!!

Welcome back to Youth Group for TERM 2!!!!!!!!!!!!

This term we have a new program packed full of fun things that we are going to be doing!

If you are already a part of Gawler Baptist Youth Group you would have received a plan of what's on this term from Dawn, our beautiful Youth Group leader.

I encourage everyone this term to not be afraid of speaking to people about the Lord and Jesus Christ. Considering that we just had Easter, and we remembered the magnificent and selfless sacrifice that the Lord, God Almighty gave us. We are so blessed and it would be amazing to have new followers of Christ realise that same thing!

The Lord unconditionally loves US! We are soooo lucky, that we also are not punished for our beliefs.

I know that sometimes in this cruel world it feels like we are punished for what we believe in, particularly in our school environments. 

But in reality we have it easy compared to many.

In many parts of the world people are still killed for believing in Jesus Christ and the Lord, God Almighty.

This is something that shouldn't be happening, but it is!

We need to realise that we are blessed with the life we have, the things we have, and the freedom to believe what we want to.

Parents I encourage you to spread the word, on how lucky we are, in your work places, with your friends.

Kids/Students, I encourage to talk about how lucky we are in as many different ways you feel comfortable with your friends and family. God will be with you as you do this, for He never abandons His children!

Have a beautiful week, and weekend, and I will write again soon :)

May God Bless YOU greatly,

Hailey

School Holidays

Hi everyone,
I hope we are all enjoying our school holidays!!


I was having a think about some of the things that have happened in the last week to me personally, and I have realised how much of a force we as Youth of the 21st Century are blessed to be believers of Jesus Christ.
We have the power to create and change things in our world, in our schools, in our work places.
God has blessed us with his Glory and his Holy Spirit. He has created us to be amazing!! 
And WE ARE!!!!
To be a young person with Faith is not an easy thing. 
We have so many obstacles in our path, so many struggles, so many days when we fall on our knees and cry out to God. 
But as my good friend once pointed out to me God even had troubles like this, just take a look at John 16:33

John 16:33 (New International Version)

   ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

So not only do we have a God who is willing to send His One and Only Son to die on the cross to forgive us of our sins, but we have a God, who had to battle the world and WON!!!


I don't know how anyone else feels about this, but I know now that no matter how hard my battle with this world may seem God has already fought the same battle and overcome it. 
He never told me it was going to be easy, in fact He pretty much told me ahead of time that I was going to have hard times ahead. 
BUT He has promised me eternity because I believe that He is my God, my Saviour, my Heavenly Father who I love. 
I am a Princess of the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth.


HE is MY Father!     I am a treasured CHILD of the LORD GOD!


Now I don't know how that makes anyone else feel but for me, I feel so special, I rejoice in the fact that HE wants to know everything about ME! 
I feel like I could wear this smile for weeks on end and not get tired of it. And if when I walked down the street and people tapped me on the shoulder and say 
"excuse me miss, why do you seem so happy? I've seen you for the last couple of days and you are always smiling, why do you smile?" 
I would place my hand on their shoulder and tell them that 
"I am so happy because Lord of all the heavens and the earth loves me! As small and insignificant I believe I am, He is willing to stop everything and sit with me and listen to everything I have to say. How amazing is that? How amazing is it that the God of everything is my Father and he will always be there for me?"


It's likely to leave the person quite dumb founded but it is the truth, the amazing truth and the promise that God has given and promised to us.


WE are SO lucky!!!


God has hold of us in an eternal friendship, an eternal relationship of unconditional, and unfathomable love that will never die.
He loves us so much!! 
So much so that the Lord has provided us with our own army of angels, He wants us to feel comforted, safe, loved and happy.
Your angels are all around you!!
Your friends, your parents, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your teachers, your pets, your brothers and sisters, the people at youth group!
We are each others angels!!
We have the power to help each other, and to be angels of the Lord for one another, to be the brothers and sisters of the Lord God to each other.
To be the Sons and Daughters of the Almighty God is an honour and I treasure it!
I hope you do too.


Just some food for thought there,
Hope you have a God Blessed day
Much love
Hailey

End of Term Party :D

Hey Everybody,
I'm really looking forward to this Friday's Youth Group gathering
I've been asked by Jeff, that because I'm the photographer in the Youth Group that I take some Photos of our Amazing group and post them both on this Blog and on the Church Website. So all in all, people can see what we get up to!!
If I'm not there I'll be getting our blessed Youth Group leaders, Dawn and John, to take some photos.
If you have an issue with the use of your photo, comment below and I'll remember to keep you off the uploaded pictures.
Many thanks,
God Bless
Hailey

The Blog

Hi guys and girls,
I have created this blog for us share with each other what's going on in our lives as individuals, as children of our Lord, and as an amazing group of Youth that come from Gawler Baptist.
Read the description underneath the Title of the page to find out what this blog is all about!
Love you all very much
God Bless
Hailey