Archive for Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Archive for Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Finger on the ‘Pulse’

Local groups seeks to draw youths with games, music

Rebekah Bird, left, and Hannah Coy share a laugh together Tuesday at the New Creation Church. The pair were among about 10 youths participating at "Pulse," a weekly group for youths ages 11 to 18.

Rebekah Bird, left, and Hannah Coy share a laugh together Tuesday at the New Creation Church. The pair were among about 10 youths participating at "Pulse," a weekly group for youths ages 11 to 18.

July 9, 2008

— Imagine playing dodgeball with toilet paper.

Envision making an ice cream sundae in someone else's mouth.

Visualize getting candy for bringing your Bible to church.

For members of a local youth group, these events aren't a wish. They are reality.

"Pulse," a group for youths ages 11 to 18, meets weekly at New Creation Church, located in the west end of the Centennial Mall.

"Pulse" formed about two years ago and now contains roughly 10 core members, said Billie Rogers, who co-leads the group with her husband, Bob.

The youths' group mission, she said, is to stretch out beyond the church's walls into the surrounding population.

"In any outreach, the goal is to reach people," she said. "That's why we encourage people to bring their friends.

"We want to reach this city."

On Tuesday night, the Rogers milled about the church, getting the auditorium ready for the night's activities. Billie set out plates of food on a folding table near the front of the auditorium while Kori Whicker, New Creation Church member, monitored the upbeat music that pulsed through the near-empty space.

The church didn't stay empty for long.

Youths began arriving, both individually and in clusters.

Typically, the group leads off by singing songs together.

However, the tunes that fill the auditorium aren't what most churchgoers may hear from the pew on Sunday mornings. Music from Christian groups with titles such as Desperation Band and Pocket Full of Rocks are some of many selections stored on the iPod where group leaders keep their Tuesday night repertoire.

"We use a lot of modern music," Billie said, "especially in the youth group, because that's what a lot of kids listen to."

After the music comes a Bible lesson, Billie said, adding that she and Bob take turns giving the message.

Weekly topics can range from faith to the Holy Spirit, Bob said.

The couple relies on divine inspiration to guide what topics they should address.

"We just pray during the week and seek the Lord," Billie said.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that plans aren't prone to change.

"I pray and I think I have something and the night before, it changes," Bob said.

A game session usually wraps up the group's weekly meeting.

"For a while there, we went through really messy games," Billie said.

One such entertainment: "Standing on a chair and making a Sundae in someone's face," Bob said.

Attaching hula-hoops to the ceiling and playing basketball using a balloon instead of the traditional ball has been another of the group's former pastimes.

The couple are constantly on the lookout for new diversions, Bob said.

"We just keep trying different ones to see what's a hit and what isn't," Bob said.

These and other games are what have kept Rebekah Bird, 11, coming back to the group after she first started coming about five weeks ago, she said.

Rebekah also is drawn by another element of the weekly meeting.

"The music," she said. "I love the music."

"Pulse" gives Rebekah a break from the routine, she said.

"I have nothing really to do at home," she said "except stay at home and watch TV. When it's Tuesday, I get to go somewhere else (rather) than sit on the couch."

Still, Rebekah said, "Pulse" means more to her than a social outlet.

"I get to learn about what my life has been and why I'm here in the world," she said.

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