Purpose and Aim for RiverLakes High School Ministry
Know - The goal that each student would come to KNOW God personally and KNOW Him more through Gospel-centered preaching, Gospel-centered worship and Gospel-centered discipleship.
Grow - Encourage personal GROWTH and spiritual maturity through a Gospel-centered and biblically formed deeper relationship with God, parents, leaders and peers.
Go - Provide Gospel-centered support and opportunity for students to GO reach others and to GO serve others
Q&A Cafe on ZOOM - Summer 2020
Dates: 7/1, 7/15, 7/29, 8/12, 8/26
Time: 6:30-8pm
Zoom link sent out weekly via email & HS Remind. If you are not connected to either of these means of communication, email Sarah Dickinson (sarahd@riverlakeschurch.org; HS Ministry Assistant) and she will get you connected!
Join us for these Q&A Cafe sessions on Zoom this summer! Ask your questions during the session or beforehand (anonymous option) at tinyurl.com/qazoom2020. Any questions are welcome and will be answered by both Nik Crown and the entire group from a biblical perspective--it's a group discussion!
B.Y.O.M. (Bring Your Own Mug) full of something good! Lemonade, soda, a smoothie, water if that's more your speed.
When: Evening of 4/23
Time & Location TBD We’re holding a parent meeting the evening of April 23 with light snacks/dessert for our continuing and new HS parents/guardians. We invite our soon-to-be freshman parents/guardians to join us! An Evite will be sent out in March with more details. Please RSVP by 4/17.
December 13 | 6:30 - 9:00pm
The Cozy Hangout Night we had planned for November had to be moved to December.
December 22 | 9:00am
On December 22, we are going to have a Christmas Party in the High School Room (Sunday morning)! The leadership team wants this to be an opportunity to invite friends. If you are interested in providing a breakfast food, pastries, desserts, etc., contact Nik Crown or Sarah Dickinson (contact info at the bottom of this newsletter).
December 21 | 4:00pm (arrive earlier)
Studio Movie Grill
$20 (includes ticket, drink, and meal)
We’re seeing the new Star Wars movie and you should come with us! If you sign up, we’ll be meeting in front of Studio Movie Grill at 3:00pm that day so we get there ahead of show time (4:00pm). Sign up by paying Sarah on a Sunday.
WINTER CAMP 2020: Welcome to the Fam
Date: January 17-20, 2020
Location: Thousand Pines Christian Camp
If you've registered for camp, final payments and Participation Forms (2019-20) are due 1/5/20.
After you register with us, complete the CampDoc Release Forms for Thousand Pines here no later than 1/3/20.
If you have any questions about camp, registration, deadlines, or financial assistance, contact Sarah Dickinson or Denise Aleman!
Sarah Dickinson (HS Ministry): sarahd@riverlakeschurch.org
Denise Aleman (JH Ministry): denisea@riverlakeschurch.org
Fall Olympics
Where? RCC Campus (meeting first in HS Room, or Rm. 213 upstairs in the Education Building)
When? 11/2, 4-7pm
Who? Any and all JH + HS students that want to come!
Food? YES
Fall Olympics is happening! We’ll be playing laser tag, kajabe can can, lawn games, ultimate frisbee, and more. This is a great event to invite friends to and is come one, come all! No sign-up required. If you've been coming to RiverLakes awhile or are brand new, this will be a great time of hanging out and having fun!
Wednesdays @ 6:30 - 8:30pm
June 19, 26, July 3, 10, 24, 31
Different homes every week!
Summer, Swim, & Study is starting up soon! Join us at different homes on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer for some swimming, dinner, and study of God’s Word. Sign up for the HS Remind to get the address sent to you each week (text @829chd to 81010). [Note: There will be no SSS on 7/17]
Wednesday, June 12 | 6:30 - 8:30pm
RiverLakes Church (HS Roomm & South Field)
Come out for Tie-Dye Wars to kick off the summer with us! Wear a white or light-colored t-shirt you don’t mind getting dyed and bring a friend or two! [Note: The “dye” is water with food coloring in it]
Friday, June 7 | 6:30 - 9:00pm | 9805 Copa Cabana Ct.
If you are an incoming freshman, we would like for you to join us for some dinner, swimming, and hanging out! Parents, we would love for you to be there as well. There will be some time for everyone to hang out, as well as time for the freshmen to get to know current HS Student Leaders and for Nik to talk to parents. RSVP by 5/30 to Sarah at sarahd@riverlakeschurch.org for food estimations.
Sunday, May 19 | 6:00 - 9:00pm | $5.00
Don’t miss this opportunity to have a night of fellowship, reflection, and looking toward the future with fellow 2019 graduates! There’s going to be a nice dinner at a wonderful host home, and so much prayer and encouragement for those of you graduating this year. Sign-ups begin April 28 and close May 12.
Dates: January 18-21, 2019
Location: Thousand Pines (our camp will be independent from their camp program)
Cost: $350 ($75 deposit to secure spot)
HS: Education Bldg, Rm. 213 @ 9:00am // JH: CC, Rm. 122 @ 9:00am
Graduating classes are moving on up! Incoming 7th grade students and incoming freshmen students will be joining JH ministry & HS ministry (respectively) for the first time!
KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 8:6
WHEN: July 22 - 27
WHERE: Sierra Pines Youth Camp, Bass Lake
COST: $275 through 6/30, $300 after 6/30
DEPOSIT: Paperwork + $75 deposit to secure a spot!
WHAT: HS Summer Camp 2018 is headed up to a site near Bass Lake for a week! Games, free time activities on-site & at the lake, a snack shop, and more are all things we’ll be enjoying during the week. Most importantly, we’ll be getting deep into God’s Word, examining the emotions of Jesus and how he is not only wholly God, but also wholly man—He is the perfect human at that. He is the prototype of God’s intended design for humanity! So pick up a packet on a Sunday morning, download it off of the RCC website, or register online (link can be found on the website or FB) to join us for an awesome week!
DEADLINES:
WHEN: 8/1, 6:30 - 8:30pm
WHERE: 10206 Dorsey Ct, 93312
WHAT: Dinner, swimming, and a worship night to end the summer!
WHEN: 6/13, 6/20, 6/27, 7/11 6:30-8:30pm
WHAT: Dinner, swimming, and Bible study on Wednesday nights throughout the summer! Different locations every week. CLICK HERE for weekly schedule.
WHEN: 6/6, 6:30 - 8:30pm
WHERE: RiverLakes (HS Room)
WHAT: Pizza, Tie-Dye Wars! To honor our incoming freshmen class, everyone is invited to Dye Wars! It’ll take place at RiverLakes. Make sure you wear a white/light colored t-shirt, and clothes that you don’t mind being stained. Bring a towel as well!
Wednesday, May 1
6:30pm | High School Room
On the last night of this school year’s D-Groups, we’ll be having a worship night in the HS Room. If you were a part of HS D-Groups this year, we’d love to see you there as we close out the year!
The seniors will be graduating from the High School Ministry, so we are going to make sure that we send them off right! Come and support them as they take a step into the next phase of life!
We are going to take the day and get away from everything and just spend sometime in God’s creation. While we hike we will have devotions and worship songs. Make sure to pack a lunch and bring water, good shoes, and a hat!
February 16 - 19, 2018
Hume Lake Christian Camp
Cost: $375 ($50 nonrefundable deposit due upon registration)
THEME:
ETERNAL LIFE NOW
We want you to know the hope that Christ gives us for eternal life and the way that hope impacts our purpose and meaning as we richly experience it in the here and now.
1 Peter 1
This November we are taking a day to RETREAT! We will be heading to Cayucos Beach to unplug from the business of everyday life and spend the day getting spiritually refreshed! Spots for the Retreat are limited, so have your student sign up quickly! Feel free to email carissas@riverlakeschurch.org for any questions or concerns!
WHEN: November 18, 2017 from 6am-8pm
WHAT: A spiritual refreshment retreat focused on spending time alone getting into God’s Word, digging into devotions, worshipping our Savior, and praying together as a body of believers!
SIGN UP DETAILS: $5 to sign up! Signed Participation Forms will be required from each student before departure! Only 40 spots are available! (Participation Forms are available in the HS room and the link is also attached to this email for at-home-printing convenience)
FOOD DETAILS: Lunch will be provided! Bring some extra money for dinner at In-N-Out Burger on the way home!
TRANSPORTATION: Drivers are NEEDED! If you have any interest in participating in our Retreat, or just spending the day in Cayucos…Please contact carissas@riverlakeschurch.org
Saturday, October 21
Time: 6:00 - 9:00pm
Cost: FREE
Join us for an epic night of Zombie Tag! Get ready for missions, screaming, running, and awesome prizes! Bring a disposable white t-shirt and a flashlight.
Our next Third Friday event has been decided...and it's going to be on a Saturday! We're going to be meeting up at the church at 9:30am on Saturday, April 22 and then driving out to Windwolves for a day of hiking, hanging out, and spending time in the word!
Make sure you bring your hiking shoes, a water bottle, and a sack lunch!
We're looking for adult drivers to help get our students there! If you're 21 or older we would love to recruit you! Please comment or email Steph at stephaniew@riverlakeschurch.org to let us know if you can drive!
February 17 - 20, 2017
Hume Lake Christian Camp
Cost: $340 ($50 nonrefundable deposit due upon registration)
In a couple sentences in Mark 12:29-30, Jesus took the entirety of the 613 Levitical laws and beautifully pared them down to these two: Love God and Love Others. That is the great commandment… plain and simple. In a world of increasing doubt and indecisiveness, what would it look like if we loved God with ALL of our hearts, souls, minds and strength? What if we loved our neighbors as much as we love ourselves? In the second half of verse 31 Jesus says “There is no other commandment greater than these” and from that sentence comes our theme title: “That’s it!” It’s as if Jesus was saying to the Scribe who approached him “focus on these, that’s it!” Our desire this winter is to learn how to love God and love others with ALL that we are… That’s it!
Sign up today! Registration deadline is January 29.
It’s official…our former 6th graders are now JH students and 8th graders are now High School students! On Sunday, June 5 make sure that all the students make their way to their new ministry rooms! JH meets downstairs in the Community Center, room 122 and HS meets upstairs in the Ed Building. Both ministries CANNOT WAIT to welcome all of the new students!
Summer is FINALLY here and we want to come together and celebrate as a RL//HS family! Come help welcome the new freshmen and revel in the fact that school’s out for summer with DYE WARS!!! Wear a white shirt (ladies please wear a 1 piece bathing suit underneath) and shorts you don’t mind getting ruined…because it’s going to get messy!
Location
3923 Santillan St., 93312
Summer is FINALLY here and we want to come together and celebrate as a RL//HS family! Come help welcome the new freshmen and revel in the fact that school’s out for summer with DYE WARS!!! Wear a white shirt (ladies please wear a 1 piece bathing suit underneath) and shorts you don’t mind getting ruined…because it’s going to get messy!
Location
High School Room
Discipleship Groups may be on break for the summer but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to get together! Every Wednesday of Summer (except for 7/20 because we’ll all be at summer camp) we’ll be meeting up at the homes of some of our awesome and generous volunteers and parents for swimming and hangout time, dinner and Bible study. Bring a bathing suit (ladies one piece or two piece with a dark t-shirt please) and a towel and come swim and study with us!
Dates/Locations
June 15: Hess Home (11702 Clarion River Dr, 93311) June 22: Mummert Home (9815 Chirtsey Way, 93312) June 29: Estrada Home (11605 Shanklin St., 93312) July 6: Parks Home (836 Nord Ave., 93314) July 13: Serepiglia Home (9207 Flinders St., 93307) July 27: Ezell Home (309 Fairway Dr., 93309) August 3: Harris Home (4725 Panama Ln, 93313)Wednesday, May 4
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Discipleship Groups are kicking the bucket (for summer anyways) and we want to celebrate! Come to the church for food, fun and friends and a look back at all that God did through D-Groups this past year!
Third Fridays are a great time to get to know fellow HS students and leaders and just have FUN! This time we're having a Backyard BBQ Bash! Cost is $5.00 if you want to eat.
Third Fridays are a great time to get to know fellow HS students and leaders and just have FUN! This time we're competing in a Lip Sync Battle! Sign up ahead of time if you want to compete. More details to come.
Third Friday
February 19
Time: 6:30 - 10:00pm // Location: HS Room
Third Fridays will be taking a break in December BUT will be back in action starting in January. These events are planned at the beginning of each month so make sure you’re checking in to see what fun themes and activities we come up with! These events range from the wild and crazy Zombie Tag event to the super chill and laid back bonfire and board games night. Come on out, bring a friend and get to know other students and leaders.
Coordinator(s)
Mikey Warren (661.589.9733 ext. 215 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))
Location
HS Room
Time: 9:00 - 10:30am // Location: HS Room
There’s nothing quite like going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Christmas…the freshly baked cookies, classic Christmas music and more joy and cheer than you know what to do with. This year
RL//HS is channeling our grandparents’ Christmas Spirit by celebrating senior citizen style! Come to church dressed like a Christmas loving senior citizen! We’ll have snacks, games and a costume contest! The most convincing and spirited will win a prize!
Coordinator(s)
Mikey Warren
Location
HS Room
September 18
October 16
November 20
Time: 6:30 - 10:00pm // Location: HS Room
We want to hang out with you! Starting this fall, every third Friday of the month we will have a…Third Friday event! These events will range from the outrageous and crazy (like Zombie Tag) to super low key (like board games and bonfires). Themes and details for each event will be announced monthly BUT you know that EVERY third Friday there will be something going on. Third Fridays will start at 6:30pm and go until 10:00pm BUT feel free to show up anytime in between!
Coordinator(s)
Mikey Warren
Location
HS Room
Friday, August 14 // 6:30 - 9:00pm // 16347 Salmon Bay Ct., 93314
Summer, you were sweet but it’s time to say goodbye. Let’s end summer with a bang! We’re going to be hanging out, and getting our last “kicks” in before school starts! Come out and get crazy!
Every Wednesday June 10 - August 5 (except July 8 & 22)
6:00 - 9:00pm
We’ll be swimming, relaxing, playing games, and having Bible study! It’s going to be a great time! (Ladies: modest one-piece please)
Locations:
8/5: 836 Nord Ave 93314
Coordinator(s)
Mikey Warren
Location
Various Homes
Wednesday, June 3 // 6:30 - 8:30pm // RCC HS Room
FRESHMEN! We want to welcome you into the HS room by having a DYE WAR!!!! Meet us in the HS room and wear a white t-shirt and a bathing suit (ladies please wear a one piece suit under your t-shirt) and get ready for battle! It’ll be just you, your fellow incoming freshmen and the HS leaders.
Coordinator(s)
Mikey Warren
Location
RCC HS Room
We will have some dance instructors teaching some fun organized dances as well as some crazy free dance time to Disney songs! Not into dancing? That's okay! There will be plenty else to do besides dance. Semi formal attire recommended.
Saturday, June 27 Time TBA Location: 15800 Strebor Drive
Coordinator(s)
Mikey Warren
Location
15800 Strebor Drive
May 8, 2015 6:30 - 10:00pm in the high school room
Location
HS Room
Come shop and help us raise funds for our Nicaragua Mission Trip!
Saturday, May 2 @ 6:00am - Noon
12038 Rosedale Highway (Corner of Rosedale and Old Farm Rd.)
Friday, November 14 & Saturday, November 15
Grab your tool belts and hammers as a team from RCC pre-builds homes to take to Mexico on their upcoming mission trip. It’s awesome to see the body of Christ at work in our community and those around the world!
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
Saturday, November 1
Time: 7:00 - 10:00pm
Cost: FREE
Join us for an epic night of Zombie Tag! Get ready for missions, screaming, running, and awesome prizes! Bring a disposable white t-shirt and a flashlight.
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
Sunday, October 19
Teams arrive @ 3:30pm
Competition starts @ 4:00pm
Rally to follow @ 7:30pm
Teams from RiverLakes and other churches throughout Bakersfield will battle it out in a fierce night of Broom Hockey in pursuit of the Baker Cup! A youth rally will follow with an awesome message from Rich Baker. Sign up your team in the HS Room.
Broom Hockey Location: Bakersfield Ice Sports Center (1325 Q Street)
Rally Location: First Presbyterian Church
(1705 17th St.)
Saturday, December 14
10:00am - 12:00pm
Join us as we venture outside of RiverLakes Church to serve our community with Jesus Shack Street Teams by visiting impoverished neighborhoods to deliver food and the love of Jesus to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
Pull on your ugly sweaters and join us for a Sunday morning Christmas Party! Food, games and prizes galore, so make sure you bring yourself and maybe a friend or two more!
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
Join us for an epic night of Zombie Tag! Get ready for missions, screaming, running, and awesome prizes! Bring a disposable white t-shirt and a flashlight.
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
Teams from RiverLakes and other churches throughout Bakersfield will battle it out in a fierce night of Broom Hockey in pursuit of the Baker Cup! A youth rally will follow with a message from Rich Baker. Sign up your team in the HS Room.
Teams arrive at 3:30pm
Competition starts at 4:00pm
Rally to follow at 7:30pm.
Broom Hockey Location: Bakersfield Ice Sports Center (1325 Q Street)
Rally Location: First Presbyterian Church (1705 17th St.)
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
Wednesdays at 6:00 - 9:00pm
Every Wednesday night throughout the summer, we will be gathering together for an evening of swimming, food, games, and bible study. This time of fellowship will be for students and H.S. leaders, allowing students to get to know one another, create friendships, and grow spiritually.
Weekly Locations:
June 12: 15800 Strebor Dr, 93314
June 19: 2100 Classen St, 93312
June 26: 9900 Front Porch Ct, 93312
July 3: 10115 Salerosa Ct, 93312
July 10: 8831 Oak Hills Ave, 93312
July 17:9805 Coba Cabana Ct, 93312
July 24: 6123 Potenza Ln, 93308
July 31: 517 Jerlee St, 93314
August 7: 8908 Hickory Hills, 93312
Coordinator(s)
Matt Vorhees
August 3 - 7 | Quaker Meadeow Christian Camp
This will be an exciting time of having an escape into learning more about “Everyday Life” following Jesus and what it means to follow Him. JH and HS will be going together ensuring a fun, respectful, safe, summer blast of worship together.
High School currently meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00am in the HS Room (Rm. 213 in the Ed. Building). We worship, fellowship, and engage with God’s Word in the form of a sermon. All high school students are welcome! Come worship with us! We encourage students to wear masks, socially distance and to be respectful of each other's preferences.
We film the sermons and post them to our YouTube Channel (RiverLakes Student Ministries). If you are unable to attend on Sundays, we encourage you to check those out during the week.
Discipleship Groups, or D-Groups, start Wednesday, January 20, 6:30-8:00pm in the Community Center Auditorium. Groups will meet weekly on Wednesdays. We will start in the Community Center Auditorium together, then split off into grade and gender-specific groups to discuss what was shared from God’s Word the previous Sunday. Again, we encourage mask-wearing, social distancing and respectful treatment of all.
Please contact Sarah Sibecas (sarahd@riverlakeschurch.org) with questions about your student’s group.