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<< Previous   of   Next >> Suzanne Schmid / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Kyler Barnes, 16, of Kenmore (right) learns to rope with help from Harley Pawley of Everett during a Western-themed youth group event at Gold Creek Community Church on Sunday evening. (click to enlarge) Suzanne Schmid / The Herald Brandon Ringstad, 15, of Snohomish tries his riding skills on a mechanical bull at a Gold Creek Community Church youth group event Sunday evening.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, September 29, 2007 Reaching out with bit of rope Mill Creek church uses Wild West and other themes to attract kids By Justin Arnold Herald Writer MILL CREEK -- In a ministry that changes as much as the teenagers in it, Youth Pastor Brian Dickison of Gold Creek Community Church is willing to go that extra mile to meet the needs of today's high school students. Even if that means taking the bull by the horns. Literally. "We had a Wild West outreach night and we brought in a mechanical bull," Dickison said. "Paintball quick-draw, line dancing, and a little 'Guitar Hero.' We do whatever we can to make it entertaining for visiting students." Dickison, with a just over a year as a youth pastor, is calling on one of his formative experiences in youth ministry: that of a teenager. Question: Explain the concept of your monthly outreaches. Answer: Basically, we are having a big night where students show up and have fun. We don't do anything church related except invite them back to next Sunday for youth group. We want them to leave that night thinking that Gold Creek is a church they can come back to. Question: How many first-time visitors come back after an outreach? Answer: We had 30 brand-new kids that never went to church in their lives. Rough edges and all. Question: What happens at a regular Sunday night youth service? Answer: We have the usual worship time, but afterward we break into several small groups that meet around a circular table. High school students are very social, and need that kind of constant interaction. So what we have done is, each table full of kids has a youth leader and a student leader whom they can interact with. So no matter how big we get, we can always retain a smaller, more intimate atmosphere. Question: How does this relate to your own experience? Answer: As a high school student, I knew what it was like to go to church and not like it. I knew there was something more, but didn't find what that was until later. What I am trying to do now is make church -- and Jesus -- more accessible to every student in the community. That's our heart here at Gold Creek. Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.

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