About a month ago at youth group, we had a furniture causality. During our game, two of our students were sitting on one half of the ping pong table. Of course, through poor weight distribution, I heard a loud crack in the middle of the game, and lo and behold the table cracked in half. Whelp it finally happened. The beloved ping-pong table saw its last game. At that moment students burst into tears of stomach-aching laughs, and the two culprits lying on the ground (thankfully no one was hurt). After the laughing finished the leaders and I were able to assess the damage of the table, and it was clear it had seen its last game. 

As the night progressed one of our students had the idea to turn the table into a prayer wall. Another student volunteered to do the work of deconstructing the pieces and reconstructing a new board. Just two weeks ago this project finished. One of our high school seniors Owen Moscatelli finished the reconstruction of our ping pong table prayer wall. Owen deconstructed the old parts and pieces of the table to rebuild something new for our youth center.

Now we have this relic of youth group history hanging on our wall. Something that was formerly used as a ping pong table to now a place where students can write their prayers. Isn't that God right before our eyes? Something breaks and He comes in a restores it. 

This story reminds me of Isaiah 43:19 when God proclaims to His people; “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Just as God is encouraging the Israelites to trust Him in the unknown, we are encouraged through a broken ping-pong table that He is still working in us all. 

Now as you walk into the youth center you will see this prayer board mounted to the wall, and I think this week this serves as a reminder to us all. Sometimes things break in our lives that are truly unfixable. This can cause us frustration, tears, anger, and heartbreak. And through all of that, we trust that God will step in and make it all new, even better than we could have imagined. 

Special thank you to the Phelan family for donating a new ping pong table!

Blessings, 

Lydia 

Thank You CPC Volunteers!

Many thanks to Luisa, Justin and Jonathan Avila, Eli Veljacic, and Karen, Joy and Daisy Stegemiller for helping with Columbia Play Project at Open House Ministries. The kids had a great time thanks to the volunteers who made it happen, and who played themselves!

High School Work Camp Meeting

April 7, 6:00-8:00PM

Youth Center

All Students and Adult Leaders going to Work Camp this summer should attend this week's meeting. Please bring with you: any fundraising or balances due, passports, adult paperwork. Contact Lydia or Katie if you are unable to attend.

The Work Camp meeting takes the place of High School Youth Group. If you aren't going to Mexico, we will see you the following Sunday.

K² Live

Spring Retreat

Trout Creek Bible Camp

April 19-20, 2024

$75

($25 off for 2nd or 3rd child)

Register Here

Middle School

Spring Splosion

Trout Creek Bible Camp

April 19-21, 2024

$130

Register Here

Sunday School

Pre-K

Preschool began a new lesson this month, called Everyone is Our Neighbor, based on Luke 10:25-37, the story of the Good Samaritan.

Kindergarten-5th Grade

Kindergarten-5th Grade discussed Christ's appearance after his death on the road to Emmaus. Read Luke 24:13-35, when two disciples thought that they had lost Jesus forever. They thought that all hope was lost... even when Jesus was walking along side them! Though they couldn't recognize Jesus, he was still alive and with them.

Middle & High School

The 10 Commandments

Youth Groups

K2 Live

We are traveling to London to learn about Respect. Our verse for the unit is 1 Peter 2:17 – “Show proper respect to everyone.” 

Middle School

Joy in Jesus

High School

God is constant.

Weekly Programs

Wednesdays

Children's Choir

5:00-5:30PM, Chapel

Grades: 2nd-5th Grade

K² Live

6:00-8:00PM, Chapel

Grades: 3rd-5th Grade

Middle School Youth Group

6:00-8:00PM

Drop Off: Youth Center, Pick Up: Main Church Building

Grades: 6th-8th Grade

Sundays

Children's Sunday School

9:00AM, Education Wing

Grades: Pre-K through 5th Grade

Youth Sunday School

9:00AM, LL6

Grades: 6th-12th Grade

High School Youth Group

6:00-8:00PM, Youth Center

Grades: 9th-12th Grade



For Your Calendar

April

4.14 - High School Work Camp Meeting for Students & Leaders; No High School Youth Group

4.17 - No Middle School Youth Group

4.19-20 - K2 Live Spring Retreat

4.19-21 - Middle School Spring 'Splosion Retreat

4.25-27 - Men's Retreat

May

5.5 - Children's Choir sings at 9:00AM Service

5.8 - Last MOPS

5.8 - Last K2 Live

5.11 - High School Work Camp Work Party

5.12 - Mother's Day - No Youth Events

5.13 - MOPS Registration Opens for Fall 2024

5.15 - All Church Prayer Night

5.17-19 - Women's Retreat

5.19 - Last Youth Sunday School and Last High School Youth Group

5.22 - Last Middle School Youth Group

June

6.2 - Grad Sunday at both Services

6.9 - 5th Grade Promotion at both Services

6.9 - Children's Ministry Volunteer Breakfast during 9:00AM Service

6.9 - Last Sunday School

6.16 - Father's Day

6.19 - Summer Middle School Youth Group Begins

6.23 - Summer Sunday School Begins and Summer High School Youth Group Begins

6.24-6.28 - Vacation Bible School

Tifny Mathena, Children and Intergenerational Ministry Director

tifny@columbiapresbyterian.org

Anna Haagenson, Director of K² Live and Children's Music

anna@columbiapresbyterian.org

Lydia Fitzpatrick, Youth Director

lydia@columbiapresbyterian.org

Catherine Feeny, Youth Ministry Worship Leader

catherine@columbiapresbyterian.org

Viva Dennis, Children's Ministry Administrative Assistant

viva@columbiapresbyterian.org

Katie Mrochko, Youth Ministry Administrative Assistant

katie@columbiapresbyterian.org

Lindsey Wright, Childcare Coordinator

lindsey@columbiapresbyterian.org

Sharon Wallenborn, Circle of Friends Preschool Director

sharonw@columbiapresbyterian.org

Laura Ericcsen, Circle of Friends Preschool Assistant Director

laura@columbiapresbyterian.org

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