Elevate Student Ministries » Elevate Update

Elevating a Generation: Follow Shawn and the Family

Shawn Michael — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:52:21 +0000

So, this is the Shoup family’s last week in Rapid City, SD, for a while. We’re gathering boxes and preparing for our big move to Duluth, MN, next week. We’ve been non-stop packing — or so it seems — since Monday morning. The mix of emotions is hard to describe. We’re so excited for the new adventure before us, and especially for Deanna’s medical training and education at UMD, but we’re also saddened to leave so many absolutely wonderful friends and family behind.

This morning, I – [Shawn] — packed up all of our personal belongings at Destiny. It was a sad day. Too many memories and strong relational attachments here to not have some emotional response…

As we are making this transition, this blog will also be making a transition. If you want to continue following the Shoup family and my — Shawn’s — blogging and youth ministry endeavors, we invite you to join us by visiting / subscribing to our personal site found at elevatingageneration.org. Elevate Student Ministry’s new pastors-to-students, Derick and Pam Brown, will be taking over the content of this site as of this week. As a result, this will be our last post here.

I’m writing content for several student ministry web sites and hope to do more of that as we make this move. I’ve been slow lately with all of the going’s on, but am committed to the call on my life and the amazing network of youth workers / peers I’ve met over the years. I also have a deep passion to see this generation follow God with everything that’s in them. That’s why our ministry tagline has always been “elevating a generation”: we genuinely want to see students go to the next level in their relationships with God.

For all of you that have been a part of Elevate Student Ministries over the past 9+ years — students, leaders, parents and the rest of our Destiny family — we love you. Words are not enough to convey our gratitude for letting us be a part of your lives. It has been an honor that has been unsurpassed by anything else to-date. The memories, laughter, and tears will never leave us.

We truly hope that you can join us for the Destiny-hosted farewell service this coming, Sunday night at 6:30 PM. Non-Destiny friends, peers, and family are invited, too; we want to hug and thank you all in person. You can Facebook RSVP to the event here.

We’re expectant about where Derick and Pam are going to take this student ministry. We’re so excited that God brought them to Destiny to take this thing to the next level. We wholeheartedly encourage you to support them as they step into their new roles as your pastors.

On a closing note: if you aren’t already, I invite you to connect with me on [Facebook] and [Twitter]. Distance doesn’t mean that we have to be disconnected in this technologically enhanced world.

Much love.

ONE Summer Camp: Day 1

Shawn Michael — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:11:07 +0000

Our biggest self-hosted camp at Kamp Kinship yet! Check out some footage and fun from our first day…

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Camp Week Files: ONE Summer Camp

Shawn Michael — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:43:13 +0000

* Click here for the [Camp Week Informational Hand-out - PDF] (from the mandatory camp meeting)

* Click here for [Directions to Kamp Kinship - WORD doc]

* Click here for [Dakota Camp Car Pool Sheet]

* Click here for links to some of the newer songs we’ll be singing at ONE Summer Camp ($10): [iTunes ONE Summer Camp iMix]

More information on the official camp web site: http://dakotacamp.org.

ELEVATE UPDATE: 7.7.10

Shawn Michael — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:51:46 +0000

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ONE Camp: Introducing Pastor Jeff Anderson

Shawn Michael — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:22:21 +0000

Visit dakotacamp.org for more.

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Mandatory Summer Camp Meeting

Shawn Michael — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:03:09 +0000

All students, parents of students, and adult leaders involved, attending, or sending kids to this year’s summer camp needs to be present. We’ll send you home with important camp-week info: what to bring, what NOT to bring, when to be there, etc. See you there!

The Elevate Rally Service

Shawn Michael — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:58:26 +0000

I’m probably getting a bit nostalgic, thinking back on nine-plus incredible years we’ve had with the students at Elevate. I filmed some shots from the rally service a couple weeks ago when Leonne was teaching and thought it would be fun to share. It was VBS week, so several students were not there as they were ministering to kids at South Middle School. It had a nice small group-type feel to it…

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ELEVATE UPDATE: 6.30.10

Shawn Michael — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:16:02 +0000

[video enclosure]

ELEVATE UPDATE: 6.16.10

Shawn Michael — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:08:39 +0000

[ More information about The Elevation Talent Show here. ]

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The Car Lot

Shawn Michael — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:57:51 +0000

Just a head’s up, there may not be a lot of students (or any at all) at Catalyst Discipleship tonight. That’s because this week is the community-wide VBS-Alive and several of you are plugged in, serving and ministering. We think that’s AWESOME and are rooting for you! God’s gonna do incredible things through you this week — we know it!

In the case that there are students at Catalyst this evening, we’re gonna be looking at the parable of the shrewd manager from Luke 16:1-13. Check it out in this modern-day retelling of the story…

If you can’t be at Destiny tonight, whether you are serving at VBS-Alive or not, consider reading through this parable — you can do it online HERE — and thinking through these questions.

1) Are we supposed to look at this story as an example of what to do… or what not to do?

2) How can the church be more creative in advancing God’s Kingdom?

3) What is our student ministry doing to be “shrewd managers” of God’s Kingdom?

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