Contact: Assistant Minister, Steve Gould

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ANNUAL REPORT for 2008

Our aim at P.T.G is as Paul wrote in Philippians 3:14 to ... press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We started off the year with a number of changes:

• A new name – P.T.G. Press Toward Goal.
• A new day and time – Sundays at 5pm.
• And a new program – Games, Bible study and discussion, dinner together followed by Night Church.

God in His grace blessed the changes and having dinner together each week really helped us all bond as a group and share our lives. Thanks goes out to the evening P.W.A ladies for providing delicious dinners for hungry teenagers. All satisfied, we went across each week to worship God with the wider church family at Night Church. Having the kids (and some of their family members) at Night church was great, and a real encouragement to us all.

I greatly appreciate the faithful, prayerful and hardworking leadership and support of Hannah Mercer and Kelly Sheldon. They work hard each week and really love the kids. It was a great team and we all worked well together, using the different spiritual gifts God has given us, with the common goal of sharing Christ with teenagers.

We had a growing number of kids in attendance for which we give God great thanks. Each week, the girls are outnumbered, but they give the boys a 'run for their money'! In our Bible studies, we looked at 'Practical Christian living' in the book of James, studies in Luke's gospel, Genesis 1-11, Acts and a number of topical studies including: 'The meaning of Easter', 'What is a Christian?' Four times in 2008 we joined with other Christian youth groups in the west for an night of singing, games and Bible teaching at ‘Youth Surge’.

We look forward to sharing this fun and fellowship with other Christian teenagers from our region in the coming year, on an even bigger scale! We had two fun nights or excursions each term.

Highlights included: Megasurge at Olympic Park, pool / snooker night,Winter Camp and a trip into the city to explore the 'Doulos' ship.

We supported Nathan and Kathy Griffith (APWM / ECM) in their preparation and as they left to serve as missionaries in Portugal. They came to speak to us about their plans and then also spoke at church. The year closed with a 'Youth Service' where P.T.G 'took over' church. We sought to serve everyone at Night Church through running the service and serving supper. Everyone was involved in running the service in some way. To see all the kids involved was a real joy. It was a fitting climax to the year.

We all have a great time each week (leaders included!), so please invite any teenage kids you know to come and share the fun and get to know Jesus! P.T.G meets at 5.00pm at the church hall during school term, for games, Bible study and dinner together, followed by church together at 7.00pm.

Please pray that these kids might grow to be mature disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. In particular could you pray:

• that the kids would be encouraged as we seek to get them more involved in serving at Night Church.
• that kids might come to church even on weeks when P.T.G. is not on.
• with us for the youth of our area that many will come to know our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
• for Kelly, Hannah and myself as we lead these kids week by week and present Christ to them.

Steve Gould.

Come and join in the fun and activities as we also learn more about Jesus and God's Word, the Bible!