Happy Friday!

Hey guys! Lauren here, reporting from the frontlines of the CE- Mid Atlantic offices. It's another quiet day here, and I'm getting antsy thinking about the long weekend coming up! Anybody have any great Labor Day weekend plans? I'm headed to a wedding tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure the rest of the weekend is going to be labor-free, know what I mean? I always hate when I book so much stuff on the weekends, especially long ones, and don't give myself a chance to relax. Heck, I might even turn off the Blackberry! (Doubt it, but the thought's still there, right?)

Speaking of doing nothing, did you know there's a way to help support Christian Endeavor without basically having to anything? You might have to lift a finger or two, but if you've reached this site, you must have already lifted a couple fingers to type in the address, or click on the link; that's exactly all you'll have to do to RAISE MONEY for CE!

There is this great search engine called 'goodsearch' that is powered by yahoo that everytime you use it, it donates money to the organization of your choice! Go to goodsearch, and you'll see a grey box that says "Who Do You Search For?" Now here's the easy part: ALL you have to do is type "Pennsylvania Christian Endeavor." (We're in the middle of changing our name, remember? It's still us!) Click the yellow button that says 'Verify,' and voila! You are now searching on CE's behalf!

I'll be totally honest with you guys- I love google search! Switching to use goodsearch takes such a conscious effort on my part, because it is practically ingrained in my skull to type g-o-o-g-l-e into the browser! And again- I'll be honest; I still sometimes do use google. If I need a map, or directions, I will go there. BUT FIRST, I'll go to goodsearch, and search google from there. That way, I'll have at least helped CE to benefit a little bit!

This is such a cool idea, and literally, this is just one of those things I can't stop telling people how much I love! If you've never heard about it, don't sweat it: that's why I'm here, to tell you about all the great ways you can support CE. This is the greatest way you can help CE on a regular basis- I know we have some Internet junkies out there! (I'm raisin' my hand right next to you all, so don't feel bad!)

I encourage you to start using goodsearch on a regular basis; in fact, I challenge everyone reading this to specifically use goodsearch as their only search engine this month. IMAGINE the possibilities- and the money we could raise! I'll keep you updated with how I do- let me know how you all do as well?

Have a blessed day, and safe holiday weekend!

Picture Contest

Hey everyone! This is Lauren, CE's fall intern. Today has been quite a busy day for us around the office; Sam is away with Dave for the start of Imagine the Impact, so it's been a ladies day for Colleen & me- relatively quiet! We are in the process of sending the fall edition of Youth Today to be organized in draft format, so that meant writing and proofing articles and finding great pictures from this past summer's activities! I didn't get a chance to get to ANY work camps or even Summer Assembly since I was in school full-time all summer, so it's been great for me to see the results, if only through pictures. Have you seen any pictures from this summer?

Week Two; Arlington, Ohio

The most important people @ any Work Camp!

Week Three; West Virginia

Check out the website and this blog, as well as Facebook & Myspace within the next few days to catch some pictures you might have missed. Have any great shots you can't help but share? Upload them on the Facebook site, or jot me an email @ lstauffer@pachristianendeavor.org & I'll post them! In fact...

Contest: Who has the coolest pictures from a 2008 CE Summer event?

Winner gets an official CE tshirt! All entries must be in to my email address (listed above) by next Friday (9/5) by noon; winners will be announced Monday 9/8 by noon!

Anyway, while I didn't get to go this year, Chrissy, the summer intern, was around at ALL the different work camps AND Summer Assembly, so make sure you check out this fall's Youth Today, where you can read about what she got to experience. It was so cool for me to read about what she did; if you didn't get a chance to meet Chrissy this summer, you're missing out- she's just an awesome girl with an amazing faith. I had the priviledge of knowing her a little bit beforehand, as she's a member of my soon-to-be new church, but from what I hear around the office, she's even cooler than I knew!

I don't know about anyone else out there, but when it comes to around 2-3pm, I get sucked into the afternoon slump. Know what I mean? For me, it used to mean a laaarge cup of coffee (preferably with a shot or two of espresso!) and something else caffinated to jumpstart my brain. I've recently been trying to cut down on the amount of caffiene I ingest--I hear it's not good when you can't fall asleep at night!--so I've needed something else to get me through. Today's was a snack that I could outright eat everyday, all day. Anybody else?

Sweedish fish help any day go by faster


Today I also filled out my paperwork to participate in the Word in Action one day work camp the CE is doing with our friends from the WordFM! When Colleen mentioned it to me, I was really excited and volunteered right away. Little did I know it starts at 7am! On a Saturday! Oh well- I'm really excited to see what God is going to do with our group come September20th. The event is held in Allentown, and as of now, we have 40 people signed up for this awesome one day event! I'd like to see this event double, because I think we can do it. My challenge to YOU, readers, is this: what is God calling YOU to do Saturday September 20th?

Have a blessed day.

Welcome!

Welcome to the official blog of Christian Endeavor- Mid Atlantic! We are so excited that you've found us! It is our hope that this blog will help you get to know the Staff members of Christian Endeavor, as well as keep updated with events and activities that YOU can get involved with!

Along with basic day-to-day updates, we hope this blog will work as an encouragement tool as you live out your faith all year round; we know how hard it is to stay on track--especially if you've been involved in some of our great summer programs!--so check back here often for devotionals, testimonials, and inspiring links to keep you motivated in living a fruitful life of Christian leadership.

Don't make this your only Christian Endeavor- Mid Atlantic stop! We've got tons of places floating around the web; take a good look around and you'll be sure to find us somewhere! If you're into Myspace or Facebook, check out our profiles and tell us what we should add. What is the thing about these programs that you love the most, and Christian Endeavor doesn't have yet? Our trusty Intern, Lauren, will take your suggestions work with them the best she can!

Check out our website too; that's the one-stop spot for any and all information you might need regarding ANY & all upcoming events. We are in the middle of changing our name from PA Christian Endeavor to Christian Endeavor- Mid Atlantic, so bear with us if you see these two names sometimes work interchangably; we promise our desire for youth and young adults to know about Christ and lead them in Christian service and leadership will not change.

Besides the web, we're all over the mid-atlantic region this fall! Our Executive Director, Dr. Dave Coryell, is presenting FREE Youth Ministry Workshops at five locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; the topic, "5 Youth Ministry Trends that are Killing the Church," is something new, so make sure you check it out! These workshops are for youth and adults- anyone with a desire for youth ministry. Check out our website or call us at 610 369 0207 to sign up, for dates, and directions. OH YEAH, did we mention it's completely free, and from 6:30-8:30pm, all nights are no longer than two hours?

Don't forget to spread the word about this blog, too! You and your friends can find us at: www.christianendeavor-midatlantic.blogspot.com.

Have a blessed day :)