About Us
At FUSION, we want all youth to have a place where they can come together, have an incredibly fun time of hanging out with friends, make new friends, and most importantly, grow deeper in their faith through teaching and experiences.
This place is not your typical youth group. It is made up of the best youth in the world, who are passionate about their faith, sharing God's message of grace and love with the world, and doing so through more than just words. They are about being "Love in Action", and their hands-on approach to displaying their faith is not about an attempt to gain more of God's love. Instead, it is out of response for the priceless gift of God's grace they have been given.
Connect
For more information, contact Fusion Student Ministries Staff - Andy or Jordan, follow Fusion on Social Media (@mttaborumcfusion) or subscribe to the weekly e-mails.
Things to Do
Boredom Busters
Recipes - Check out some of Church Hostess Sheri's Recipes below!
Peanut butter cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preparation:
In a large bowl, cream together butter and peanut butter. Add sugars and eggs; cream again. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture; mix well. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll into balls; place on a cookie sheet and press with a fork to flatten. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 36 cookies!
Oatmeal Spice cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 t baking powder
1/2 T pumpkin pie spice
1.5 cups quick cooking oats
Preparation: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer
Combine butter and sugars until smooth, add eggs, then dry ingredients.
Refrigerated at least an hour.
Spoon onto baking sheet and press down - bake 10-12 min
At 350 - look for brown edges.
Other Boredom Busters:
Spiritual Practice to try:
This is a practice called the "Awareness Examin." It is also a GREAT way to start journaling if that is something you've been interested in doing! (Source)
The Awareness Examen is a particularly meaningful spiritual practice that you might find accessible and easily adaptable to your everyday life. Developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits), Ignatian spirituality is deeply incarnational, encouraging one to follow the way of Christ within all the blessings and struggles of real daily life. Just as Jesus spent much time in prayer, Ignatius believed that prayer could be a profound practice for attending to and seeking God's work and presence in the world around us. The Examen is a prayer practice that you can participate in daily in order to experience "still-ness" and to tune your sensitivities to a God who is not "out there" but right in our midst. Perhaps if you found it to be meaningful you might consider taking it on as a daily personal prayer, a way at the beginning or end of each busy day to center your thoughts and to rest in the still-ness of God. If you'd rather, it may be found helpful in times of stress or frustration. The following is a brief example of this prayer practice adapted particularly for use with people your age. If you’d like to start doing this regularly, follow this template. You can journal these thoughts, too, if that helps you to process.
See below:
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Find a quiet place and take some time to center yourselves in silence. Spend a moment just being still.
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Think back over the past day or week as if you were watching a movie of all that happened. Ask yourself: What do I notice? What feelings or thoughts do I associate with the past day or week?
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Think about where you experienced God's presence during this time. One way to help you explore this idea is to reflect upon those "God moments" in which you experienced peace, love, joy, compassion, and forgiveness in your interactions with others. Give thanks for these moments.
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Think about where it seemed you were unaware of God's presence during the past day or week. These may have been times of anger or impatience or when we ignored the needs of others. Think about where you resisted God's presence or had any other shortcomings.
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Consider where God may be calling you to a new awareness or a new hope. What challenges might God be calling you to in this crazy time—at home, at school, in your families, and with your friends and community? What are you hopeful for? In closing, give thanks for the time together and for God's presence within you during this time.
It's worth noting that spiritual practices such as the Examen are called practices for a reason; it generally takes time and repeated efforts for these spiritual exercises to be impactful. You may experience very little the first few times you do this. But the more you practice it, the greater the possibility that you will find within this exercise a tool for seeking the sacred within the everydayness of living. Let us know if you have questions!
Acts of Kindness You can Do During this Time!
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Be extra gentle with your parents and siblings, even if (especially if), that's been hard to do recently. And be extra gentle with yourself!
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Write a letter or make a card for your grandparent(s), for residents at a local nursing home, or for Mount Tabor's homebound members. It will be sure to brighten their day! For addresses of homebound members, email jordan.gross@mttaborumc.org.
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Write a thank-you note(s) to a healthcare worker or essential worker in your life. You can even send letters to local hospitals, such as Wake Forest Baptist or Novant Health. OR make a poster board thanking these workers to hang in one of your home's windows.
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Reach out to a friend or loved one you haven't talked to in a while and let them know you're thinking of them.
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Parents, please don't hate us for suggesting this, but if your family has the time and resources perhaps you might look into fostering a pet during this time. They are in need of loving homes right now more than ever! https://forsythhumane.org/foster/.
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Empty/load the dishwasher, straighten up the living room, and/or offer to help your parents with dinner (either preparing it or cleaning up afterwards) without them asking you! They will appreciate this act of kindness more than you know - and you'll probably feel pretty good, too!