Hello Parents and Teens,

As you know, this year has been a bit unusual. I bet your Summer plans look a little different than you expected at the beginning of this year. I know that's true for Alive Ministry.

We had a Summer plan and it just wasn't what the Lord wanted for us this year. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but I trust you're with me when I say God knows what He is doing.

When I started in ministry, I never thought part of my job would be navigating the decisions around a pandemic. It's hard to make plans during times like these. Which is why I want to take a moment and thank you all for your continued support and patience. I appreciate all of the families in Alive.

I know some would have wanted to open Alive back up sooner, and I know others will choose not to attend for a while longer. I want you all to know, that is okay. You know what is way more important than when we open and what we wear? The blood of Jesus that was spilt to make us a unified family. I can't help but think of Jesus' priestly prayer in John 17:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,  that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing this kind of oneness during this season of Alive! The world is watching us, and I'm praying with you that their conclusion is Jesus is Lord.

Alive Summer Schedule

As I said, it's incredibly hard to plan during this season. But we must try. So I wanted to share with you all the following schedule.

Click links for more details:

July 15th- Alive Comeback (7p)

July 18th- Beach Day (10am)

July 21st- Lil 500 (7pm)

July 22nd- Alive Pizza Party (7pm)

July 23rd- Universal City Walk Putt-Putt Golf (7pm)

July 24th- Alive Worship Night (7pm)

As you can see, this is my attempt to squeeze an entire Summer into approximately one week. My goal was to provide options for parents and teens. I would love for everyone to come to every event but I know due to costs, comfort, and timing you may not be able to. I recommend prioritizing the Wednesday night Alive meetings and the Friday worship night. 

I know there will be many questions and I'm happy to answer any (skohout@metrolife.org) but let me see if I can answer a few now.

First, why are we opening Alive before Sunday morning services? This an excellent question. The Leadership Team decided to move forward with opening Alive due to it being a smaller gathering (under 50 people) at the church building. We believe the smaller gathering will allow us to more easily maintain physical distancing and keep the areas sanitized. Please know that as we open the doors for Alive, we support you as parents in whatever decision you make regarding attendance.

For every event in the church building we will be adhering to the following steps:

• We are meeting in the Chapel or Auditorium for additional space.
• The Facility Team is regularly sanitizing our meeting areas.
• We are practicing physical distancing of 6 feet apart (This is also reflected in our seating for the evening)
• Masks are required to be worn inside the building (If you don't have one, we will provide one).

For any event off church premises, I ask that you follow the counties' mandates and companies' policies.

Unfortunately, all Summer events are subject to change due to the pandemic. Any last-minute details will be announced on Alive's Instagram account @AliveYouth407

Personal Note

Teens, we miss you so much! The leaders and I are going crazy without you guys. Case in point, I'm looking into getting a Kanye 2020 sticker for my car. Whether we see you in person in the coming weeks or not, I want each one of you to know that you are loved. Please reach out to me or any of the leaders. My email is skohout@metrolife.org. 

Parents, I know some are ready to gather and others are not. No matter where you land I want you to know that I support you. I'm here for any questions or comments that you have. Thank you for allowing me to partner with you in showing the love of Jesus to your teens. I will never take that lightly.

Your brother,

Shane