30 Hour Famine - This Weekend! - (Youth 5th - 12th grade)

Hello to all youth and families!

This weekend @ Covenant we have a special opportunity for all YOUTH (5th-12th grade)!

We will be having a lock-in @ the church (Covenant Youth Only) that will be dedicated to learning about hunger & how famine affects people around the world, even here at home. This will not be a typical "lock-in", sure there will be lots of fun and energetic activities, however, we will be VERY committed to learning about famine and how we as a congregation can do something about it!

The program we will be following is called "30 Hour Famine". One of the primary learning features of the program is for each person/youth to "fast" for 30 Hours. The goal will be to have each youth go without food from 12 AM Friday to 6 AM Saturday. Certainly they can have water, fruit juices, vitamins, etc..., but we would like the youth to have a tiny experience of what it means to be hungry! This adds to the experience and the understanding of what others have to go through on a regular basis.

(*ALTHOUGH WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION FROM ALL YOUTH - WE WANT EACH FAMILY & YOUTH MEMBER TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS SITUATION, THEREFORE IT WILL BE THE DISCRETION OF EACH FAMILY TO FULLY PARTICIPATE OR NOT). We will provide breakfast on Saturday morning, however, there will not be food available on Friday night! [with the exception juices & water - they will be readily available for all youth at all times] If you so choose not to follow the program during the rest of Friday - that is your call as parents/caregivers. The Famine Resources actually note that participants under 12 yrs. old should proceed with caution and probably consult a physician 1st. They have alternatives to a full 30 Hour fast (one of them being "skip a meal" which is what they could do if they came on Friday night.

I want this program to be a life-changing event. We will dive deep into the statistics of hunger, starvation, & poverty, as well figure out ways we can help. Although a primary goal for the night's event is to discern/decide what kind of fundraiser we can attempt to raise money for the cause in the coming months, the other thing we will be doing is actually putting "school kits" together for Church World Service. This is where we will need your help! If your youth could bring supplies with them (list below), we will make as many kits as we can & we will make sure they are delivered properly. These kits can be used in countries that have been ravaged by famine, flooding, earthquakes, Tsunamis, etc...) Just another way we can open our minds to the world and how we can make a difference.

Finally, I ask that all the youth spend some time after breakfast to hang out with some other Covenant members and friends as we "clean up Covenant"! Festivities will end @ 11 AM.

The Agenda, Supplies List, & What to Bring & Not Bring will be emailed to you shortly. Let me know if you did not receive an email by 12 PM Wednesday afternoon (3/23/11).