Discover InspiringLessons For Youth Groups with Lessons for Youth Groups

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...

My name is Tim Ferguson and my Christian Youth Ministry began as a high school student at a Baptist Church in Port Jefferson, N.Y. Our adult leader often looked to me for ideas and even let me run a few meetings.

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After returning from college in 1969 two local churches, one Presbyterian and one Methodist, joined together in a local coffeehouse ministry. Before I knew it, I was left in charge. It was a volatile time. The group had its share of Vietnam Veterans as well as protesters of that war. Everyone, including myself, played acoustic guitar. People liked to philosophize about faith but involvement in the actual church was lessening. In the midst of this, events like "Olympics", and "flashlight sing" evolved. These events were still used forty years later.

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In 1973 it became apparent that it was time for me to move on. It was difficult. Though I had a job at a local insurance company, my work at the coffeehouse was my real mission in life. It took a good friend's heart to heart conversation with me to solidify my conviction that there truly was a new life ahead. I prayed about it and decided to leave it in God's hands - I would take the first affordable apartment anywhere within an hour's drive of my place of business.

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                                    In May 1973 that "anywhere" became an unknown town in central Long Island, N.Y. by the name of North                                              Babylon. Bordering to its north was the village of Deer Park. To my amazement the very first Sunday I                                                      attended the Deer Park Presbyterian Church a church elder announced that he wanted the church to support 

                                    a new local coffeehouse. God had called me to leave one coffeehouse ministry behind and immediately gave me a new one in my new home. To this day I still marvel at how God calls us to our missions.

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The Deer Park Coffeehouse was, in actuality, a post high school youth gathering and ran weekly for eleven event-filled years. In many ways a mission project, the group became a family of friends that still exists to this day. Several individuals from the group were introduced to our church through the coffeehouse. During these years I became a parent, started teaching a seventh grade Sunday school class and was elected to the church board of elders. Soon after the

Cub Scouts called and seven years of den leadership became my new calling.

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Music and guitar playing morphed into song writing. I was fortunate to have the

assistance of some talented musicians, whose abilities challenged me.

Soon my song writing included songs for Christian youth. (See Praise Him video

on home page.) However, God had additional plans for me in addition to song 

writing.  The church asked for a new senior/junior high leader and I,

at the time with fifth and eight grade sons, stepped forward on Easter Sunday 1994

As special as the previous programs were, this one was especially blessed.

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We were blessed by youth who cared and who wanted to make a difference. Many have made testimonials under the "Youth Speak Out" page on this website. They made a name for themselves by serving seventy-five homeless people on the lower east side of N.Y. City outdoors during a blizzard in January 2005. They embraced the Thirty Hour Famine for seventeen years and for several years brought other Christian youth groups into this program by inviting them to join us. I am particularly blessed that several of the children of the original Deer Park coffeehouse members attended our youth group even though the families were active in other local churches.. It was so much fun to see Steven E. do well at Olympic events at which his father Joe E. excelled in the late 1970's

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In the Fall of 2014 the youth group ended as there were no longer Junior and Senior High School students active in the church. It was a good twenty year run and I have been pleased to continue my Christian youth work via this website. People from around the world continue to share how they use the many activities available through various pages on the website.

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                                                                                                      I have been blessed by the support of my wife, Linda, during these years                                                                                                         of youth work. I also thank the efforts of Coffeehouse members from                                                                                                              the past who, as adults, have lended their assistance to the youth

                                                                                                      program. I received the honor of a television interview with

                                                                                                      a New York television station on August 19, 2017, an opportunity to                                                                                                                  share the challenges youth ministry has brought to me.

                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                        Click Interview for Video

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                                                                                                        Click for free Christian Youth Group Activities and Lessons

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                                                                                                        May God be with you in your ministry,

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                                                                                                        Tim Ferguson

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