Pacific Northwest District Fall Youth Rally 2000!
Here's lots of fun pictures from the Couch Competition!  This was a competition in which nine teams competed.  Each team had a pickup truck, a van, a polaroid camera and a couch.  They would try to get the most number of points by going to different locations with their couch, unloading it and getting a picture of the team in front of the various locations.  Bonuses were added for additional people in the picture.  All the kids had a blast!
This the winner of Most Creative Picture.  Pastor Long was the team leader and Mac McElrath the Couch Escort.  This was titled "Couch Wreck" on the tracks in Arlington.
This is one of the team that went to Golds Gym.  Extra points were awarded for having body builders in the photo.  (the guy on the left is huge!) 
This was another favorite.  This is a team at an Espresso Stand.  Extra points were awarded for having a Latte' in the picture.  Pastor Galland was team leader.  Team members included: Alicia Horneman, Jessica Boe, Tony Scavo, Christen Edwards, and Harry Obsitos.

This page was last updated on: August 28, 2001

a couch at the slaughter house??
Here is a team at the Willis Bro. Lockers meathouse.  Umm....yes, those are dead, skinned cow carcasses in the backgroud.  Just think about this picture next time you have a hamburger.
Hey!!  Did you know???
Did you know that you don't have to wonder where you are going to go when you die?  There is a way you can know FOR SURE that you are going to heaven when you die!

Think about it.....that means that there is a way that you can lay your head down on your pillow tonight and know for certain, that if you never woke up again, you would go to heaven.

It says so in the Bible!!  1John 5:13 says that the Bible was written for that very purpose - To show the way to know for certain that we have eternal life!

"What does it say?" you ask.  Guess...

"Go to church?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Be good to my neighbor?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Keep the 10 commandments?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Love everybody?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Do the best I can?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Do 'good works'?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Get baptized?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Try not to sin?"  --  Wrong Answer
"Give money to charity?"  --  Wrong Answer


Give up??

Ok, well the message of the Bible is incredible news - in fact, it's the best news in the whole world!  Here's what it says....

1.  Heaven is a free gift! (Romans 6:23)  -  What?  A free gift?  Yep, and so because it is a gift, we cannot try to earn it.  If we try to earn the priceless gift of heaven by doing good things, it's like an insult to God.  It's like offering $2 to someone who gives you a $10,000 watch.  (Eph 2:8-9)

2.  Man is sinner (Rom. 3:23) and cannot save himself  -  So we've all failed to be perfect but what is sin really?  It is anything in our thoughts, words, actions, attitudes or motives that is short of God's perfect standard.  Wow!  That makes you realize that you sin a lot more than we probably think!  Does God grade on the curve?  Nope.  His standard is absolute perfection! (Mt 5:48)

3.  God is Love, therefore does not want to punish us (1Jn. 4:8b) yet the same Bible that says that God is love also says that God is Just, therefore He must punish sin!  So we are faced with a problem:  We've blown it with our sin.....God loves us and doesn't want to punish us......God is just and must punish sin.....Big Problem!  But God solved our sin problem through......

4.  Jesus Christ!  -  Jesus is True God in flesh (John 1:1-14) and He came for the purpose of being beaten, whipped, spit upon and finally dying on the cross to take the punishment that we all deserved to bear for our sins!  Love is what is amounts to!  He took the punishment for the sin that we deserved to go to hell for. (Isaiah 53:6)  Jesus died for all people, but does that mean that everyone is going to heaven?  No.  This incredible gift must be received by faith.

5.  Faith is not just believeing the facts about Jesus existence.  It means that we stop trusting in our good works or anything that we could do, have done or ever will do to get us to heaven and INSTEAD trust completely in what JESUS ALREADY DID FOR US!  The price has been paid and the gift is being offered to each one.  Now it is up to you to tell God you are sorry for you sin and accept this gift of eternal life because of what Jesus did for you.  No magic words, just tell God that.  (Acts 16:31)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved"  - Acts 16:31

"Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me'"  - John 14:6

None of us are guaranteed to live another day.  Don't delay in accepting this free gift of eternal life that God offers you.  It is the most important decision you will ever make.  It will determine where you spend eternity.



If you have any questions, email me at luke@lukelong.com
Royal Servants Youth Ministry
Royal Servants Youth Ministry, is the youth ministry of Atonement Free Lutheran Church.  At R.S.Y.M, we are focused on growing closer in a REAL personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It's not about "religion".  It's about a relationship with Jesus.  We also believe that young people have some of the greatest potential for serving the Lord and being mighty for God.  It is our aim to use these years to the max, not in living for self, but in the awesome purpose that God has for our lives.

We have tons of fun together!  Whether it is a weekly youth meeting, a special activity or a ministry project, it is great to enjoy the company of other young people who are seeking the Lord.
Here's a picture that we took following our 7th Grade Welcome Party and "Hildiguard".  Click on year 2003 for more pictures and information
Random picture.....The young man in the Boy Scout uniform is Sam Willard.  This was the night of his Eagle Scout award.  Sam and his brother Tom just moved to Minnesota, because their father was called to the ministry and he is going to seminary.  Sam and Tom are missed much by the whole group, but we are excited for them as the first pastor that came from our church.
Sing, sing, sing.  Here we're singing as a whole group for our Christmas Program.  We sang our own version of Servant King.  It's a great song.
Brenda, Sarah, Jesse, Anders and myself following a song that we sang together.
Nate Anderson and Luke at the Youth Leadership Conference in Oceola, Wisconsin.   Nate is not from WA, but he's gonna come out someday for another visit, right Nate?
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