DAA # 4

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APeXMinistries.com

Number 4
April 25th, 2000

Greetings from the headquarters of the international conglomeration known as APeX inistries. We pray that you are celebrating mightily this wonderful Easter season.

Some of you are starting to wonder, "Where is my free stuff? I sent APeX really cool art work (or a letter or an e-mail) and I have not received free stuff." If we lived in a perfect world we could give every one a gold-plated tee shirt (very valuable, but difficult to wear). Unfortunately we are unable to do that. (Feeding our selves has been a challenge of late, much less to have the ability give away treasure.) We would still like to find a way to reward those who have enriched our lives with wonderful poetry, art works, jokes, cookies and many other things we have received in the mail (including a pair of pants). It would not be fair to the person who spent hours on a piece of art work to reward them in the same way as the person who sends us a post card which reads nothing more than "Send me free stuff." We have found a way to solve this problem. When ever we receive something from someone they will be awarded APeX points. (More points will be awarded for creativity, if there is food, or if we are in a good mood that day.) You will be able to cash your points in for free stuff whenever you want. For a few points you can get one plastic monkey from the barrel of monkeys. For more points you can get a free tee shirt. If you collect enough points you might even be able to get Gene. Please see the web page http://APeXMinistries.com/ApeXPoints.html for more details.

A wonderful new web page has been started in the last few months. It is http://www.disciplesNow.com/. It's goal is to provide a place for youth to have an opportunity to grow and learn in their faith. Paul and Sherry (and the rest of the leadership team) have worked very hard on the site. There are many great resources, opportunities for you to participate in discussion, chat rooms with special guests (rumor has it that APeX will be one of those guests in the next few months), and much more. Please stop by and tell that that Gene and Brad sent you.

NEW! NEW! NEW! Do you want to learn how to juggle? Do you want to improve your relationship with God? Are you craving more of Brad's insightful, witty writing? Well have we got a deal for you! A booklet to help satisfy all these desires. Juggling Your Prayer Life provides fun, easy to follow, step-by-step instruction for how to juggle. It then points out how you can take insights from learning to juggle and apply them to your spirituality! Buy the booklet alone, or with three high quality bean bags (that even say "APeX" on them!). Visit http://apexministries.com/Merchandise.html for purchases.

At the bottom of this you will find information about the Encuentro this summer in LA. Many wonderful speakers are involved. For more information see the web address and phone number below.

Your brothers in Christ
Gene and Brad

PS: Don't forget to forward this on to your friends who would appreciate this.

Letters, E-mails, and other comments
A Question For You
Ask APeX
Just a thought
Web Page updates
Up coming shows
Encuentro

Letters, E-mails, and Other Comments

From the back of a card sent to Gene and Brad. Each one of these sentences was written on an edge of the envelope. "When I was naked you clothed me." "When I was in prison you visited me." "When I was hungry you fed me." "Gene stop picking on Brad!"

A Question For You

Do you want free stuff? (Of course you do!) Well here is your chance to get some APeX Points (see new free points scoring system). Extra points are given for creativity. We know this question was asked in the last issue, but we are still looking for more creative answers.
Why is the 'e' lowercase in the name APeX? (We are looking for creativity here. The greater the creativity the greater the riches!)

Send all responses to Question@APeXMinistries.com

Ask APeX

In each Digital APeX Attacks, you, our fine reader, will have the opportunity to get those burning questions that keep you up at night answered. Here are a few questions that have been posed recently.

Why do you have a greyhound?

Brad: My wife wanted another dog after we lost our first one. (see A Bittersweet Love Story from Apex Attacks #5) She encouraged me to learn about this amazing breed, and I was inspired (as well as a little saddened) by what I learned. (visit http://adopt-a-greyhound.org) We went to go look at some before deciding whether or not to get one. When we got to the rescuers, one of the dog's up for adoption came right out, came over to Joia (who was crouching down to greet him), and rested his chin on her shoulder (his way of giving a hug). He was a fawn colored male named Alex who could stick his ears straight up and look like a goofy deer. The very next day we brought him home with us, and he has been a truly wonderful friend.

What has been you favorite performance?

Gene: Last spring we had the opportunity to do evening prayer for 156 Franciscan brothers and priests. The youngest was a 22 year old novisciat and the oldest was a retired missionary (age 86). Most of the brothers had known each other for over twenty years. There was such a sense of community. I can't remember a time in which I laughed so much on stage.

Brad: Anytime we get a good response from the audience and it encourages more off-the-wall impromptu silliness.

Please send all Question to AskAPeX@APeXMinistries.com

Just a thought
by gene

A little more than a week ago, Brad and myself were eating dinner in New Hampshire. We were eating at a small restaurant named Ray's Landing. It was a cute little restaurant right on the ocean. Our table was near a window and we had a very good view of the surf. The meal itself was one of the finest meals I have ever had in my life. The fish was flavorful with great red pepper sauce. It was accompanied with a twice whipped potato and steamed vegetables. The portion was not so large that I needed to over eat to finish it or be wasteful. Nor was it too small, leaving me hungry. It was just the right size. While we were eating, Brad made a comment to the effect, "We are so lucky!" It was a very simple statement. I could tell he was talking more than just about the wonderful food that was before us. I believe he was talking about all the wonderful places we get to go. All of the amazing people who touch our lives. The fact that we have found work that brings us joy and which we feel is part of our vocation in life.

It is rumored that the speaker Lee Nagel at one point (if not still today) used to write fifteen thank you notes a day. The reason being was that there are at least fifteen things to be thankful for each and every day. He is right. So if you would indulge me, here are fifteen things I am thankful for (in no particular order).

God: who loves me always, no matter what I do.
my family: who gave me my faith, my education, and endless support in my life.
Brad Farmer: a true man of God. He is someone who is a business partner, a creative partner, a travel companion, an inspiration, and most of all a friend.
Kristen, Tom, Dan, Bill, and everyone whom I work with on a work camp in Washington, DC. They continually try and understand how they are called in their faith and challenge me to do the same.
Young people everywhere: Every time we leave town we are doing so to minister, but somehow it always turns out the be the other way around. The young people I meet share their stories, their lives with me. They teach me.
Joia Farmer: A woman who makes a great sacrifice in her marriage to support our ministry. A woman with a voice like an angel. A woman who will one day be a wonderful mother.
Rain drops: As I am here typing there is a light spring shower outside. Children are splashing in puddles (and throwing worms at each other). Just the smell of the rain is refreshing.
Not being able to sing well: I wish more than anything that I could sing. I really do, but if I could sing I would be persuing a music ministry right now. One of the reasons people have been so willing to take a chance on us is because we were different (read: not musicians). I could not imagine that we would have had the same opportunities to be doing full time ministry if we were musicians.
Cinnamon Life
Friends: who have gotten used to my wacky travel schedule. Who have supported the ministry that I do and blessed to be a small part of it with prayers, time, and treasure.
Adults who work with youth as volunteers: I hate using the word volunteers for these people, because that implies that they do nothing more than set up chairs and pour soda. They are youth ministers even though they do not get paid. One of the reasons I am who I am today is because of these types of people.
Hugs (from other people and the candy)
The joy of children
The man who held the door for me at the post office today
Quiet time

I could go on. What are the things you are thankful for in life? What are you thankful for today?

Web Page Updates

APeX Attacks #5 (Winter 1999/2000) is now on line. If you did not receive it in the mail you should check it out. You will laugh. You will cry. It is much better than Cats. We have received lots of positive feed back about Brad's article A Bittersweet Love Story. All the articles can be found at:

http://apexministries.com/APeXAttacks.html

Up coming shows

Please pray for us and for those we are blessed to serve on these date

April 29th Diocese of Syracuse, NY
April 30th Diocese of Camden, NJ

For a complete list of APeX's Schedule please visit:

http://apexministries.com/FutureShows.html

For booking information you can contact APeX at 888/522-2739

Encuentro 2000: An Opportunity for Youth and Young Adults Practical Matters

Encuentro 2000 is heralded as an opportunity for Catholics in the U.S. to engage in profound
conversations about life and faith: to worship together, to learn from each other, to forgive one another and be reconciled, to acknowledge our unique histories, and to discover ways in
which we as Catholic communities can be one church, sharing the blessings of our diverse cultures and ethnicities.

The Encuentro 2000: Many Faces in God's House will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, in Los Angeles, California, on July 6-9. Planners anticipate 5,000 participants.
To Register Please call 800-805-3976 to register. Register Now! and receive the Early Bird discounted rate of only $100 until April 30. For more information on registration go to www.encuentro2000.org.

Scholarships Available
The National Foundation for Catholic Youth Ministry granted $5,000 to support youth and young adults participation in the Encuentro. The USCC also has scholarship funds available for participants. For more information or to obtain a scholarship form, go to www.encuentro2000.org/scholarships

Youth and Young Adult Programming
A creative, diverse, and inspiring team of twelve adult leaders is charged with implementing the five breakout sessions for the Encuentro youth and young adult participants. The session topics are: . . .encounter, conversion, solidarity, communion, and mission. Team members include: Annette Turner, Jim Corder, Colette Kennett, Georgiana Sanchez, Rey Malave, Michael Youngblood, Arturo Chavez, Bernardo Reyes, Alicia Bondanella, Alicia Marill. Jesse Manibusan and Brian Johnson are the facilitators.

To date the following bishops have agreed to participate in the youth and young adult Communion session: Bishops Bennett, Britt, Fiorenza, Hanifen Ramirez, Rosazza, Steib, Tamayo, and Vlazny

We look forward to this challenging and enriching experience with youth, young adults, and adults who comprise the multi-hued tapestry which is the Catholic Church in the United States.

Important note: If you received this e-mail as a forward from someone else and would like to receive Digital APeX Attacks every time it is published, or if for some reason you have received this e-mail in error from APeX please follow this link to add or remove (though we couldn't imagine why you'd want to remove) yourself from the mailing list:

http://apexministries.com/MailingList.html

© 2000 APeX Youth Ministries, Inc.

--"Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words."

St. Francis of Assisi

http://APeXMinistries.com

APeXMinistries.com	Number 4 April 25th, 2000
Greetings from the headquarters of the international conglomeration known as APeX inistries. We pray that you are celebrating mightily this wonderful Easter season. Some of you are starting to wonder, "Where is my free stuff? I sent APeX really cool art work (or a letter or an e-mail) and I have not received free stuff." If we lived in a perfect world we could give every one a gold-plated tee shirt (very valuable, but difficult to wear). Unfortunately we are unable to do that. (Feeding our selves has been a challenge of late, much less to have the ability give away treasure.) We would still like to find a way to reward those who have enriched our lives with wonderful poetry, art works, jokes, cookies and many other things we have received in the mail (including a pair of pants). It would not be fair to the person who spent hours on a piece of art work to reward them in the same way as the person who sends us a post card which reads nothing more than "Send me free stuff." We have found a way to solve this problem. When ever we receive something from someone they will be awarded APeX points. (More points will be awarded for creativity, if there is food, or if we are in a good mood that day.) You will be able to cash your points in for free stuff whenever you want. For a few points you can get one plastic monkey from the barrel of monkeys. For more points you can get a free tee shirt. If you collect enough points you might even be able to get Gene. Please see the web page http://APeXMinistries.com/ApeXPoints.html for more details. A wonderful new web page has been started in the last few months. It is http://www.disciplesNow.com/. It's goal is to provide a place for youth to have an opportunity to grow and learn in their faith. Paul and Sherry (and the rest of the leadership team) have worked very hard on the site. There are many great resources, opportunities for you to participate in discussion, chat rooms with special guests (rumor has it that APeX will be one of those guests in the next few months), and much more. Please stop by and tell that that Gene and Brad sent you. NEW! NEW! NEW! Do you want to learn how to juggle? Do you want to improve your relationship with God? Are you craving more of Brad's insightful, witty writing? Well have we got a deal for you! A booklet to help satisfy all these desires. Juggling Your Prayer Life provides fun, easy to follow, step-by-step instruction for how to juggle. It then points out how you can take insights from learning to juggle and apply them to your spirituality! Buy the booklet alone, or with three high quality bean bags (that even say "APeX" on them!). Visit http://apexministries.com/Merchandise.html for purchases. At the bottom of this you will find information about the Encuentro this summer in LA. Many wonderful speakers are involved. For more information see the web address and phone number below. Your brothers in Christ Gene and Brad PS: Don't forget to forward this on to your friends who would appreciate this.
Letters, E-mails, and other comments A Question For You Ask APeX Just a thought Web Page updates Up coming shows Encuentro
Letters, E-mails, and Other Comments From the back of a card sent to Gene and Brad. Each one of these sentences was written on an edge of the envelope. "When I was naked you clothed me." "When I was in prison you visited me." "When I was hungry you fed me." "Gene stop picking on Brad!"
A Question For You Do you want free stuff? (Of course you do!) Well here is your chance to get some APeX Points (see new free points scoring system). Extra points are given for creativity. We know this question was asked in the last issue, but we are still looking for more creative answers. Why is the 'e' lowercase in the name APeX? (We are looking for creativity here. The greater the creativity the greater the riches!) Send all responses to Question@APeXMinistries.com
Ask APeX In each Digital APeX Attacks, you, our fine reader, will have the opportunity to get those burning questions that keep you up at night answered. Here are a few questions that have been posed recently. Why do you have a greyhound? Brad: My wife wanted another dog after we lost our first one. (see A Bittersweet Love Story from Apex Attacks #5) She encouraged me to learn about this amazing breed, and I was inspired (as well as a little saddened) by what I learned. (visit http://adopt-a-greyhound.org) We went to go look at some before deciding whether or not to get one. When we got to the rescuers, one of the dog's up for adoption came right out, came over to Joia (who was crouching down to greet him), and rested his chin on her shoulder (his way of giving a hug). He was a fawn colored male named Alex who could stick his ears straight up and look like a goofy deer. The very next day we brought him home with us, and he has been a truly wonderful friend. What has been you favorite performance? Gene: Last spring we had the opportunity to do evening prayer for 156 Franciscan brothers and priests. The youngest was a 22 year old novisciat and the oldest was a retired missionary (age 86). Most of the brothers had known each other for over twenty years. There was such a sense of community. I can't remember a time in which I laughed so much on stage. Brad: Anytime we get a good response from the audience and it encourages more off-the-wall impromptu silliness. Please send all Question to AskAPeX@APeXMinistries.com
Just a thought by gene A little more than a week ago, Brad and myself were eating dinner in New Hampshire. We were eating at a small restaurant named Ray's Landing. It was a cute little restaurant right on the ocean. Our table was near a window and we had a very good view of the surf. The meal itself was one of the finest meals I have ever had in my life. The fish was flavorful with great red pepper sauce. It was accompanied with a twice whipped potato and steamed vegetables. The portion was not so large that I needed to over eat to finish it or be wasteful. Nor was it too small, leaving me hungry. It was just the right size. While we were eating, Brad made a comment to the effect, "We are so lucky!" It was a very simple statement. I could tell he was talking more than just about the wonderful food that was before us. I believe he was talking about all the wonderful places we get to go. All of the amazing people who touch our lives. The fact that we have found work that brings us joy and which we feel is part of our vocation in life. It is rumored that the speaker Lee Nagel at one point (if not still today) used to write fifteen thank you notes a day. The reason being was that there are at least fifteen things to be thankful for each and every day. He is right. So if you would indulge me, here are fifteen things I am thankful for (in no particular order). God: who loves me always, no matter what I do. my family: who gave me my faith, my education, and endless support in my life. Brad Farmer: a true man of God. He is someone who is a business partner, a creative partner, a travel companion, an inspiration, and most of all a friend. Kristen, Tom, Dan, Bill, and everyone whom I work with on a work camp in Washington, DC. They continually try and understand how they are called in their faith and challenge me to do the same. Young people everywhere: Every time we leave town we are doing so to minister, but somehow it always turns out the be the other way around. The young people I meet share their stories, their lives with me. They teach me. Joia Farmer: A woman who makes a great sacrifice in her marriage to support our ministry. A woman with a voice like an angel. A woman who will one day be a wonderful mother. Rain drops: As I am here typing there is a light spring shower outside. Children are splashing in puddles (and throwing worms at each other). Just the smell of the rain is refreshing. Not being able to sing well: I wish more than anything that I could sing. I really do, but if I could sing I would be persuing a music ministry right now. One of the reasons people have been so willing to take a chance on us is because we were different (read: not musicians). I could not imagine that we would have had the same opportunities to be doing full time ministry if we were musicians. Cinnamon Life Friends: who have gotten used to my wacky travel schedule. Who have supported the ministry that I do and blessed to be a small part of it with prayers, time, and treasure. Adults who work with youth as volunteers: I hate using the word volunteers for these people, because that implies that they do nothing more than set up chairs and pour soda. They are youth ministers even though they do not get paid. One of the reasons I am who I am today is because of these types of people. Hugs (from other people and the candy) The joy of children The man who held the door for me at the post office today Quiet time I could go on. What are the things you are thankful for in life? What are you thankful for today?
Web Page Updates APeX Attacks #5 (Winter 1999/2000) is now on line. If you did not receive it in the mail you should check it out. You will laugh. You will cry. It is much better than Cats. We have received lots of positive feed back about Brad's article A Bittersweet Love Story. All the articles can be found at: http://apexministries.com/APeXAttacks.html
Up coming shows Please pray for us and for those we are blessed to serve on these date April 29th Diocese of Syracuse, NY April 30th Diocese of Camden, NJ For a complete list of APeX's Schedule please visit: http://apexministries.com/FutureShows.html For booking information you can contact APeX at 888/522-2739
Encuentro 2000: An Opportunity for Youth and Young Adults Practical Matters Encuentro 2000 is heralded as an opportunity for Catholics in the U.S. to engage in profound conversations about life and faith: to worship together, to learn from each other, to forgive one another and be reconciled, to acknowledge our unique histories, and to discover ways in which we as Catholic communities can be one church, sharing the blessings of our diverse cultures and ethnicities. The Encuentro 2000: Many Faces in God's House will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, in Los Angeles, California, on July 6-9. Planners anticipate 5,000 participants. To Register Please call 800-805-3976 to register. Register Now! and receive the Early Bird discounted rate of only $100 until April 30. For more information on registration go to www.encuentro2000.org. Scholarships Available The National Foundation for Catholic Youth Ministry granted $5,000 to support youth and young adults participation in the Encuentro. The USCC also has scholarship funds available for participants. For more information or to obtain a scholarship form, go to www.encuentro2000.org/scholarships Youth and Young Adult Programming A creative, diverse, and inspiring team of twelve adult leaders is charged with implementing the five breakout sessions for the Encuentro youth and young adult participants. The session topics are: . . .encounter, conversion, solidarity, communion, and mission. Team members include: Annette Turner, Jim Corder, Colette Kennett, Georgiana Sanchez, Rey Malave, Michael Youngblood, Arturo Chavez, Bernardo Reyes, Alicia Bondanella, Alicia Marill. Jesse Manibusan and Brian Johnson are the facilitators. To date the following bishops have agreed to participate in the youth and young adult Communion session: Bishops Bennett, Britt, Fiorenza, Hanifen Ramirez, Rosazza, Steib, Tamayo, and Vlazny We look forward to this challenging and enriching experience with youth, young adults, and adults who comprise the multi-hued tapestry which is the Catholic Church in the United States.
Important note: If you received this e-mail as a forward from someone else and would like to receive Digital APeX Attacks every time it is published, or if for some reason you have received this e-mail in error from APeX please follow this link to add or remove (though we couldn't imagine why you'd want to remove) yourself from the mailing list: http://apexministries.com/MailingList.html © 2000 APeX Youth Ministries, Inc. --"Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." St. Francis of Assisi http://APeXMinistries.com