Foundations 2009  |  July 29-August 2

What's this thing about thin places and why would we want to go into one?

"There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places that distance is even smaller. A thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God." - Sylvia Maddox

A thin place doesn't have to be in a church. It could be, but it can be anywhere; an old ruin, an open field, a quiet wood, a room in your house, a city park. Wherever it is, it just seems that the holy and the ordinary are closer to one another.

We are meant to live in God's presence. Jesus did, but he also set an example of stepping away from the rush and noise to seek deep interaction with his Father. That's what Foundations 2009 is all about; learning to live in the presence of God and taking time to connect with God.

A little different

The focus of Foundations has always been Jesus. For 2009, we are specifically concentrating on creating safe, comfortable spaces for deep interactions with God and teaching practices for living in the presence of God every day.

We will have worship gatherings Wednesday-Saturday evenings and Sunday morning. We'll be using different locations for each gathering. The gatherings will include music, worship, Scripture reading, teaching and communion.

Our service project will be on Saturday, and we'll be supporting the newly relaunched Dryden Old Home Days at Dryden Lake Park.

Schedule

Wednesday, July 29

    Worship gathering: 7-10 PM
    Thin place: Trinity Lutheran Church, 149 Honness Lane, Ithaca, NY   map

Thursday, July 30

    Worship gathering: 7-10 PM
    Thin place: Hayloft at the Carriage House, 305 Stewart Ave, Ithaca, NY   map

Friday, July 31

    Worship gathering: 7-10 PM
    Thin place: Cass Park pavilion, Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY   map

Saturday, August 1

    Service project: 1-6 PM at Dryden Lake Park supporting Dryden Old Home Days
                                  meet at 12:30 PM at Negvesky's
    Worship gathering: 7-8 PM
    Thin place: Negvesky's Backyard, 215 Lake Road, Dryden, NY   map

Sunday, August 2

    Worship gathering: 10 AM-12:00 PM
    Thin place: Covenant Love Community, 1768 Dryden Road, Freeville, NY   map

Register

Foundations is for anyone ages 15-25. (or entering 9th grade in the fall)

The registration cost is $25.

Download a registration form.

Giving to others

We don't take up offerings for Foundations. It's just not our thing, but we do take up offerings to support other non-profits.

Every year, we collect offerings to bless other non-profit groups. This year we will be supporting Mt Zion Retreat Center in Roaring Branch, PA; a place that has been a thin place for many of us.

Mt Zion Retreat Center serves individuals, families, groups, churches, and youth organizations; anyone who is looking for a place to conduct a retreat. It takes a lot of money to maintain and heat their primary building, a former retirement home built in the early 1920s. The Coultons are tremendous servants of God who also care for several foster children and pastor a church on the grounds.

Mt Zion has been a thin place for us and the Coultons have been a great blessing to many, so we're excited for the chance to support them.

What's this Foundations thing?

Foundations is a unique gathering of people ages 15-25 dedicated to equipping people to live and love like Jesus and to extend the Kingdom of God to every part of the universe and every sphere of life.

The Vision
Building relationships and seeking first the kingdom of God through fellowship, service, worship, discipleship, prayer, and learning. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which has already been laid, which is Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 3:11)

If you have any questions about Foundations, you can email us, and don't forget to join us on Facebook.

Foundations operates as a ministry of Covenant Church. If you would like to help support the work of Foundations, tax deductible gifts can be sent to the address below.

One more thing

We won't have Basics or Creatives this year. We know this surprised some, including us, but it's what we believe God has called us to for this year. And since some have asked, this is the format for this year. We don't know what next year holds. We'll just have to wait and see what our Father who loves us has in store. It's all part of dreaming the dreams of God and following Him into the future He has for us.