Sequanota

"What should I do with my life?" - Project Living offers help through a Christian lens.

2012-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

"What should I do with my life?" is one question that everyone must answer for themselves at one point - or maybe several points. If you are one of those people who are looking for an answer, here's a resource for you:
http://projectliving.org/

"This is a website that we hope you -whoever you are- can use as a resource when asking that big question, “What do I do with my life?” Project Living is a place where God’s guidance and direction are a part of the discussion."

There are blog posts about theological ideas, videos of people talking about personal experiences, and podcasts linking theology and experiences. For more information, check out the website or start with the Project Living Intro video.

Bible Study on a Boat

2012-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

This is a good small group activity that addresses God's presence in our times of fear and uncertainty. In an open space, make the outline of a boat on the ground. This can be done by tracing the outline in the dirt, laying stickes side-by-side, or by using sidewalk chalk or tape. We have also done this by laying a blanket on the floor and having group members fit onto the blanket together.

Have the group sit in the boat and read Psalm 46 or another selection about fear together. God is our strength, even when we are scared or don't feel strong ourselves. Have each person think of a time when he or she was scared. Open with prayer, and ask God to be with you during those scary times. Squeeze the hand of the person next to you, have that person mention a scary time, and then squeeze the hand of the next person. Continue until the prayer comes back to you. Close in prayer by thanking God for taking care of you and being strong when you feel that you can't be.

Games: Electric Pulse

2012-02-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

We are going to try something new, and give our friends in cyberspace ideas for ice breakers, games, and fun ways to fill the time between other activities.

Electric Pulse is a good game to use as an ice breaker - once initial introductions are over, and your group is ready to move on - or as a group game at another time. This one requires its players to be attentive and responsive - qualities that serve us well as we listen for God's word and watch for God's presence. This is also known as Electricity, the Pulse Game, or the Current Game).

To play, form two teams of equal size. Each team is to stand in a line facing the other team. The lines should be about 5 feet apart. Tell each team to hold hands, so that they form two long human chains. At one end of the two lines, a person (not a player) should stand holding a bandana in each hand. The referee will stand at the other end of the line opposite from the chair.

Have the two players at the front of the line watch the ref. Instruct all the other players to close their eyes with faces turned downward. For each round, the ref should flip a coin and quietly show it to only the first two players at the front of each team. Whenever the coin shows "heads," the two people at the front of the line must squeeze the hand of the next person in line as quickly as possible. When that player's hand gets squeezed, he or she quickly continues to pass the electric pulse by squeezing the next person's hand, and so on. The player at the end of the line grabs their team's bandanna when his/her hand is squeezed.

The goal of the game is to pass the electric pulse - okay, it's really hand squeezes, but its so much more fun to call it the electric pulse - down the line to the last person and be the first team to grab the bandanna. If heads was flipped, and a team successfully grabs the bandanna, that team wins a point. If the team grabs the bandanna, but heads was not flipped, the point goes to the other team. After each coin flip, wait several seconds and then flip again. For a short game, the winner is the first team to score 10 points. For a longer game, increase the number of points.

Good News!

2012-01-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Bridge is once again open for business! The bridge connects the trail over the PA Turnpike and was sorely missed by trail users. It's very exciting to have it back in commission.

If you are unaware of the trail, the bridge, and all the wonders of both, you should know that this is a 70-mile trail through the beautiful Laurel Highlands area of PA. Sections are open to cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. Check it out this year.

Worship Idea #2: Asking God to help you start again.

2012-01-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

One of the most exciting worship activities we used this summer involved acknowledging our regrets and starting anew. As campers, staff, and volunteers entered the worship area, each person received a notecard upon which they were asked to write down a sin they committed in the last year that regretted and wanted God's help in not committing again. Each person then kept their notecard face down. Staffers had set up a simple cross made of two nailed together boards. There was a nail sticking out of the place where the boards met. Row by row, everyone came up to place their card face down onto the nail.

Worship leaders then set the cards on fire. Participants watched as their regrets were carried off by smoke. Leaders led a prayer for forgiveness and help.

Fire and Ice Festival in Somerset

2012-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

Events in the Laurel Highlands in January

2012-01-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday the thirteenth!

This afternoon kicks off the Fire and Ice Festival in Somerset, PA. All weekend throughout the uptown there will be hot cocoa, chili, and other good foods like funnel cakes. The schedule of events lists music, fireworks, model trains, wood carving, sleigh rides, and activities for teens.

Next weekend, Ligonier will host its own festival, the Ligonier Ice Fest. These festivals are good ways to get out of your winter ruts and to remember that winter is an opportunity to be grateful for fellowship and fun.

For free outdoor fun, Laurel Hill State Park has two activities coming up: On the evening of January 21, the park will host campfire stories around the fire around the fire of their sledding area. If you haven't been there, the park is one of the most beautiful spots in the Laurel Highlands, year round. The park will also host a snowshoe hike on January 28. Participants should register for the snowshoe hike.

Even if you can't make it to Laurel Hill's events, make sure you check out their sledding hill this winter. You will probably have a better time than Hobbes.

Reluctantly Running

2012-01-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

My favorite web site lately is Reluctant Runners, where people who love running - just not while they're doing it - can share their running progress and keep each other motivated.

I got hooked after watching this intro to the site:

Just wanted to share that with you until I write again.

3 Good Books for Good (Last Minute) Gifts

2011-12-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

By "last minute," I'm hoping you have a decent bookstore that's not too far away. The first two are about Christian faith. Others are inspiring. You don't even have to give these away. Read them for your self. Better yet, buy two copies.

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller

A couple of years ago, Miller wrote a memoir called Blue Like Jazz that made it onto bestseller lists. More recently, he wrote a memoir about living life like a good story called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Somewhere in there, he wrote this memoir with another dazzling title. While Blue and Million Miles examine ideas in the context of stories, this book is more a series of interconnected essays about faith, doubt, human relationships, the Fall of Man, and how Miller imagines our relationship with God, based on scripture.

The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg
Full disclosure: I haven't read this one yet. I'm all ready to like it, because it was given to me by a friend who swore it will change the way I view the big picture. The publisher touts it as a book that "removes the unhealthy fillers and purifies our relationship with the God of the Scriptures. Through personal stories and scriptural insights, Margaret Feinberg shares glimpses of God's character---big-hearted, kind, beautiful, mysterious---that point you to an authentic and naturally spiritual relationship with him."

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book will break your heart. That's no reason not to read it. Set in a poor section of a German city during WWII, this novel tells the story of Liesel Meminger and her foster parents. You can imagine some of the events. I don't want to say too much. I'll just tell you that you will want to invite some of these characters to your house and spend time with them. Oh, and the whole story is narrated by Death, who is deeply worried about mankind.

I was intrigued, because my paperback copy says on the cover that it is the kind of book that could change your life. That's a tall order, but it just might. This one is a Young Adult book, but adults will get just as much out of it.

How well do you know the Ten Commandments?

2011-10-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

*I've recently had the pleasure of getting to know Pastor Jack from the Lutheran Campus Center at IUP. Among his other duties, he sends out a email to students to give them food for thought midweek.

I'd like to share this one:
In our worship last Thursday at the Lutheran Center, we focused on the Ten Commandments. We even had a quiz before the service to see how many of the ten each of us could name. Polls show that most Americans, even those with no religious commitment, cite the Ten Commandments as the foundation for their own moral and ethical choices. But when the same people were... asked to name them, hardly anyone could name all ten. The average was three. It makes me picture Leno on his “Jay Walking” segment trying to find someone on the street, anyone, who can recite more than one.

The first commandment says, "You shall have no other gods.” Our culture offers us many alternatives to the God we know in Jesus Christ. We just don’t recognize them as gods. These gods I’m thinking of make powerful competing appeals for our loyalty and worship. They offer us joy, security, and well-being.

In pursuit of joy, for example, we may choose the ancient god Bacchus, the god of wine, music, dance, and substance-induced forgetfulness and lack of restraint and inhibition. My room at the Center is across the street from two residence halls, so I know for a fact that Bacchus has plenty of devotees at IUP starting every Thursday night.

In pursuit of security, we can rely on Mars, the ancient god of war, militarism, and “might is right”. When I read “In God We Trust” on the American dollar, given our recent history in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, I wonder if the god being thought of is actually Mars.

In pursuit of fulfillment, we can opt for Eros, originally the god of sexual love. But Eros morphed, even in ancient times, into the god of accumulation and consumption. The religion of Eros is based on the subtle, usually misguided, belief that owning, having, and then wanting more is what life’s about. Just watch a half-hour of television and you’ll be convinced that Eros has a large congregation.

Obeying the first commandment to have no other gods than the One we know in Jesus means living by a single, undivided loyalty to that God in the midst of the other gods’ constant and noisy clamor for our fidelity. That takes an awful lot of strength and perseverance. I find that when I try to maintain my primary loyalty to the God of our Scriptures by myself, I often fail. I suspect we all do. We need strength from beyond ourselves to put the other gods in their proper place. We receive that strength in our own practice of daily prayer to God. But most of all, though, we receive it by coming together for fellowship and worship with others who want to maintain the same loyalty to the Father of Jesus. Because it’s when two, or three, or however many, are gathered in Jesus’ name that God in Christ himself comes into our midst.

PS - Many of us had to memorize the Ten Commandments in confirmation. Imagine if there had been 15 of them.

*How many of the Ten can you name?

November & Winter Events

2011-10-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hi friendly people. We have a few additions to our calendar. We'd love to see you around:)

Camp Sequanota Fall Craft Day - Saturday, November 5^th 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Come and join us at the Bowersox Enrichment Center for a fun day of crafts. Gingerbread houses will be the featured project, and other holiday crafts will be available for both morning and afternoon sessions.All ages are welcome and no experience is needed, so we hope you will bring your friends! Costs cover lunch and your supplies: $15.00 for adults ~ $10.00 for children under 12. Please call or email the camp for more information or to register (deadline is November 1^st). contact@sequanota.com or814-629-6627.

Winter Blast! February 3rd - 5th

Want to experience Sequanota in a totally different season? This year, teens in grades 6-9 (confirmation age) can join us for faith and fun in the snow. Reconnect with your friends in the synod and bring some more from home! Friday and Saturday we will focus on sharing faith with confirmation topics. Sunday will be an optional trip to Seven Springs mountain resort, the num-ber one resort in the mid-atlantic, for snow-tubing or learn to ski packages! With coordinating help from Pastors Will and Elisa Osman (New Centerville, Lavansville/Bakersville parishes), and Sequanota staff members from the summer, you will make memories and have a blast!

Worship Idea #1: Praying for Rocks

2011-10-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite prayer activities from this summer was literally praying for rocks. The rocks were actually used to symbolize other concerns, but we shared our rocks and had other people pray for them. It got us to think about and pray about other people.

The rock praying activity works well for adults or teenagers. You will need pebbles and markers. Gather as many rocks as you have people. They do not need to be large. You won’t be trying to write a tremendous amount on them. Ask the participants to think of something they would like to ask someone else to pray for. It can be a prayer for someone else, a personal concern, or a global concern.

Assure them that if it is a personal matter, they will not need to share it explicitly with another group member. Pass out the markers and have everyone write or draw something on their rock that symbolizes their prayer concern. It can be one word or name or a symbol. When everyone is ready, have them exchange rocks with another person. It is important that everyone has a rock that does not belong to them. Conclude this activity by asking everyone to put the rock they now hold in a visible location that will remind them to pray for the intention on their new rock. If your group is going to meet up together again, you can ask them to bring their rocks back the next time and have them switch rocks again.

Conclude with a prayer for the intentions on your rocks:

Heavenly Father, You told us in Your Word that where two or more are gathered in Your name, You are there in our presence. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity together to praise you. We ask for your blessings now for the intentions symbolized on our rocks. Please help us to remember our brothers and sisters gathered here now and for these rocks to be a visible reminder to pray for each other. Amen.

Communities and People Who Love Them

2011-09-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Earlier tonight, I was reading through something I had written a long time ago for a completely different reason, and it was all about community. I'm kind of assuming that, if you love Sequanota, you like the idea of community. This summer for me was all about being thoughtful and attentive to other people and taking the time to enjoy their presence.

Recognizing the usefulness of looking after your community isn’t just an abstract idea pertaining to nonprofit organizations and volunteering. It’s as simple as sharing your time with the people around you. Healthy communities are something we should aim to create and protect. Not only because they are Good and Important, but because they are good for us. There’s a certain amount of selfishness here. If we take care of our communities, we can feel like Good-People-Who-Help-Others. We can also benefit from what we’ve protected.

Part of having a healthy community is fostering connections with other people. Example: Have you read the Twilight books? If if you haven't given in to this trend, you'll see where I'm going with this. Please just bear with me for another minute. My favorite thing about these books isn’t found between their covers. While I was reading New Moon, my sister was reading them, too. She doesn’t live nearby, so—although we tend to talk quite a bit over the phone—it can be hard to keep up with each other’s lives. While we were both reading, though, we would have ridiculous nightly conversations about we thought would and should happen next.

Here’s the profound message to take away from this pointlessness: Community can be found in many things. It can be found in serious activities: volunteering, networking, supporting similar causes. It can also be found in reading the same silly books and other activities of equally dubious value.

True community transcends age and similarities. It doesn’t even have to include friendship, but that can be an added bonus. It doesn’t have to mean lots of time and energy, although those things can be helpful. True community is about wanting and working for the best for other people and yourself. True community involves fostering connections.

A true community offers benefits to its members, and they, in exchange, bring themselves to the table. Put effort into your community and make the most out of it, in exchange. This is all I have for now. This pep talk is now adjourned.

Carbon Leaf and Thankfulness

2011-09-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been making a mental list lately of all the things I am thankful in my life. Most of these are pretty typical things: my family, my friends, good books, good food, good music, the beginning of fall. It's easy when you're busy to get wrapped up in your day-to-day stuff and forget about what keeps you going. If you've made it this far into this very sappy blog post, take a second and think about what's important to you. Does your day-to-day life reflect those things?

My favorite band right now is called Carbon Leaf. They are an indie rock band that is kind of folky with some Celtic flavor thrown in. One of the things I like about them is that they are very positive. The song that's linked is called "The Friendship Song." It's a sweet song.

Liz

Fall Events

2011-09-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Fall Work Day, Saturday, Sept. 24 Start time: 8:30 a.m.

Come at anytime and join the work projects! Continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday for all workers. Free overnight lodging will be available (Please contact the camp office to make arrangements).

Spaghetti Dinner, Saturday, Sept. 244 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Enjoy some time at Sequanota and a great all-you-can-eat meal. Cost: $8.00 for adults; $4.00 children 5 to 11; children under 5 are free. Takeouts are available. Proceeds benefit our ministry. Call to let us know how many are coming!

Fall Adventure & Horseback Riding WeekendOctober 7-9
Join us for a spiritual, action-packed fall adventure! We are inviting campers and friends ages 10-18 to experience challenges thrills and friends in the beautiful changing leaves. Summer staff members will guide you safely around the mountain and supervise you all weekend. Choose your own activities like rock-climbing, fishing, hiking, bouldering, canoeing or backpacking during our time together, and participate in the favorite activities you know and love from camp. This year, we are including an option for horseback riding on Saturday at Camp Allegheny. (There will be an additional fee for those choosing horseback riding.) Bring as many friends as you like to share in the fellowship at Sequanota, or new ones at camp.
Ages: 10 to 18
Cost per person: $125.00 (additional $20.00 fee for horseback riding)
Receive $10.00 off your registration fee when you bring a friend who is NEW to Sequanota
Call to register.

Quilt Auction, Dedication of Dining Hall Addition & Chicken BBQ
Saturday, Oct. 8
1 p.m. - Join us for the dedication of the new restroom addition at the dining hall

2 p.m. - Our annual quilt auction will begin. Ben and Lionel, our auctioneers, who have made this auction a lot of time in the past, will be with us again this year. The main auction will be mostly quilts with some other handcrafted items. There will be some silent auctions of filled baskets, donated items and craft items.
If you have any items to donate for the auction, please contact the camp office. Your donations are very important to our ministry. Fundraising events like the quilt auction enable us to keep our summer camp affordable to children in our area.
4 p.m. - Bring your appetite! When the bidding ends, the BBQ begins. Chicken BBQ will be available for pick up or eating in immediately following the auction.
Large Meal (1/2 chicken) - $7.00
Small Meal (1/4 chicken) - $5.00

Fall Adult Day
Thursday, Oct. 20
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Led by Pr. David Wright
Back by popular request, the topic will be, "Five Wild Women in Jesus' Genealogy." Bring a Bible, any translation, along with a pen or pencil. Dress comfortably! Lunch will be provided.

Cost: $10.00

Fall Craft Day
Saturday, Nov. 5
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Come and join us at the Bowersox Enrichment Center for a fun day of crafts. All ages are welcome and no experience is needed, so we hope you will bring your friends! Costs cover lunch and your supplies.
$15.00 for adults
$10.00 for children under 12

Welcome to Our Blog!

2011-09-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

It feels like fall today at Sequanota. It's a beautiful, sunny day just chilly enough to wish for some hot apple cider after a hike through the woods. My name is Liz, and I was part of the Sequanota staff this summer.I miss our campers and summer staff, but we're all are looking forward to our upcoming events.

This blog is something I'm also excited about. In upcoming posts, other Sequanota-enthusiasts and I are going to share suggestions for fun, spiritually enriching youth group activities, favorite things to do in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands and cool photos. If you have any ideas to share with us, contact us!