Updates

Greetings Parents,

I hope that everybody is having a fun time in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.  Here are a few updates of things coming down the pike in the Youth Ministry:

Dec. 20 (This Sunday)

The Senior High Christmas Party at the Lesters' at 6 pm

The gift theme is "The Greatest Thing Ever"  Talk to Leann about what food you can bring.

No Cell Groups on Dec. 23rd or 30th. 

Dec. 31

New Years Eve Party at Greg & Kim's House 8 pm - 12 am
Parents are welcome to attend as well.

Jan. 8

Girls' Midnight Madness
Talk to Bethany Hunter or Lindsey Tucker for more info.

Jan. 22-24

Carolina Salt University

This event is for students who are leaders in the Ministry.  If your child is on the Servantship Team, they need to make every effort to attend this retreat.  If, for whatever reason, your child cannot be on the Servantship Team, but would like to involved somehow in Christian leadership, they are welcome to attend as well.  Online registration will be up soon.

Feb. 26-28

Winterfest

This year, we are only taking our Jr. High (7th-8th grades) to Winterfest.  Online registration is up on our website.  Please register by Jan. 13th.

December Cell Groups

This month, our cell groups are taking a look at the Apostle Paul in Acts.  Since Paul is such an influential figure in the Bible and Christianity, there is no hope of sufficiently discussing his full importance.  As such, I have chosen to focus in on two main points I would like for young Christians to take away from Paul's conversion story in Acts 9.

1 - God will forgive you.  I do not know the complete background of any of the students in our ministry, but I feel safe in saying that none have any sins as great as Paul had committed in his Saul days.  I have messed up to be sure, but never have I made it my mission to destroy the very work and people of Jesus Christ.  Paul had - and he was off to a pretty good start.  Despite that, Paul was given grace from God when he repented and followed Jesus.  My guess is that is the reason Paul talked so much about grace in his later letters.  I think it is vitally important for us as Christians to understand that despite our past failings, God can use us in mighty ways in the future.

2 - God will forgive others.  I think it equally important for us to understand that God will show others the same type of grace that was shown to Paul.  And what's more, he expects us to do the same.  In Luke 17, Jesus famously instructed his disciples to forgive someone up to 49 times in one day (490 according to some manuscripts).  The stunned disciples exclaim, "Increase our faith!", which I believe is such an appropriate reaction.  Faith and forgiveness go hand in hand.  We need to believe that God is in charge and he will deal with the mistakes (or even flat out rebellions) that other people commit.  We need to believe that God will use people with unrighteous pasts to bring about his righteous plans.  Right before Jesus told his disciples to forgive a ridiculous amount of times, he gave them this cheery statement:

"Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves."

I have known both of these teachings from Jesus by heart for quite some time, but I never had noticed their proximity to each other until studying for this lesson.  I had always thought that people who made little ones sin were child abusers or people who set bad examples that children follow.  While I think both of those things may apply here, I think Jesus has something else in mind here based on context.  I think he's talking about those who withhold forgiveness.  People who would tell someone that they don't have a place in the Kingdom of God because of some past sin.   It's a generally accepted principle that people will live up or down to their expectations.  So if someone feels they are expected to be useless in serving in the Kingdom, the chances are greater that they will never find the good works that they were created to do.  Perhaps that is the "sin" Jesus is talking about here.  As this months brings to an end not just the year, but also the decade, I hope and pray that the Church can be a people that forgives as gracefully we've been forgiven.  I also pray that the students in our group will understand how much they have been forgiven and will accomplish great things over the course of their life for the Kingdom of God with that knowledge. 

An Interesting Website

Today I stumbled across this parenting resource:  http://www.radicalparenting.com

This basic premise is this: Parenting from the kids' point of view. It started when a teenage girl wrote a parenting book, telling parents what their teens wish they knew.  It has since grown into a website & company that employs teenage interns to write articles for parents.  While I think most parents know that parenting shouldn't be done on the whims of their children, I do think there is wisdom in the basic philosophy here.  The basic philosophy being, "LISTEN TO YOUR KIDS!". 

It's very easy to forget what it's like to be a teenager, or to gloss over the rough parts and instead choose to just remember the care-free days before real responsibility set in.  It also is important to remember that the world is in many ways a different place than it was when you were growing up.

Take a minute and look around the website and see what you think.  It's not a Christian site, so don't expect the advice on parenting to be expressly biblical.  The more useful aspect of the site, I think, would be the perspective of these very articulate teenagers.  There's a good chance they are communicating many of the same emotions that your child won't or can't express to you.  I found this post from their blog interesting and a good example of what I'm talking about.

Also, this site claims to tell parents what their kids wished they knew.  Let's turn that around and pose it as a question for us.  What do you wish your kids knew that they don't seem to yet?  I most likely won't post anything next week since it's the Thanksgiving holiday, so we'll let that be our discussion question for the month.

I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving!

Got a Phone?

There's a new way to keep up with things going on in the Youth Ministry. In a text message, send SCOCYM to 41411. This will sign you up to receive last minute updates on your phone. It's free, other than the standard texting charges from your phone company. Go give it a try.

note:  ads will be sent along with the text message (this is how it is free).  I don't have any control over which ads get sent, from the few tests I've tried they've all been harmless and only text.  

Cell Groups in November

This month we will be talking in cell groups about how the early Church faced persecution, and how they responded.  Teaching about persecution on Wednesday was difficult for me for a couple reasons:

1.  I've never been persecuted for my faith.  I mean, I've been called a few names here and there, but never anything like what the early Church faced or some Christians in other parts of the world still face today. 

2.  The group of kids I was speaking to have never been persecuted for their faith. 

I think because we so seldom deal with persecution, we are likely to just fly by it in Scripture sometimes.  When we do address it, it's normally along the lines of "Those early Christians were so brave!" or "Be grateful you don't have to deal with this." or "There are still persecuted Christians in the world."  Any of those are great messages to take away and important to know for sure, but I believe that there can still be lessons to be put into our world, our place, our lives.  What strikes me about the picture painted in Acts about the Church's persecution is that God was working through it all.  After Stephen is stoned in Acts 7, chapter 8 begins by telling us that the believers scattered, and went "throughout Judea and Samaria" and further down it says they "preached the Word everywhere they went."  Reference that what Jesus told them in 1:8 - "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth."   God's will was being carried out.  The early Christians had amazing faith to believe this.  They did not have the benefit we have of being able to see where it all ended up.  It's important to remember that these men and women are not characters on a sheet of paper, but that they are historical figures.  They were real people with real lives, real families, real emotions. 

I believe they were able to have such faith because they believed in the cross and the resurrection.  Sometimes I believe we miss part of the significance of the cross because we just talk about the atonement that comes from it - about how it forgives us our sins so we get to go to heaven.  That's definitely HUGE - but it's not all.  The early Church saw the cross not just as a gift to be enjoyed, but a model to be copied.  Jesus took the abuse of all the evil and sin in the world, and responded with love and humility.  He did not fight back in the sense that we think of "fighting".  He fought with the only weapon the gospel permits us to use against evil - love.  Among his final words were "forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing."  There is no coincidence in the similarity of Stephen's final words on Earth: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

We can see the power of love and mercy throughout Acts.  In Acts 16 we see it in action again.  This time Paul and Silas have been unjustly imprisoned and beaten.  In fact, beaten is a too tame a word.  The text says "severely flogged".  The Romans were known for their efficiency in punishment, so the fact that Luke feels the need to include the word "severely" has to tell us something of the pain Paul and Silas must have endured.   During the night, while Paul and Silas are singing and praying while chained in the center of the prison, they are miraculously freed when an earthquake topples the jail.  When they see their jailer prepared to take his life so that he won't face a similar fate to what they had previously endured, they do not wish to seem him harmed.  Instead they call out to him.  They preach to him the gospel.  As a result, not only does the prison guard come to follow Christ, but the rest of his family as well. 

I hope and pray that at some point I can have that kind of faith in the cross.  Not just to believe that my sins are covered by the blood that was spilled upon it, but to believe Jesus when he said that I would have to take up a cross to truly find life (my paraphrase of Mt. 10:37-39).  This month as the groups talk about what the first century Church endured, I hope that it will inspire a generation of young Christians to take up their cross daily.  While I don't foresee any of our teens having their life literally on the line like Stephen, I do know that there will be times that they suffer for doing good.  I know there will be times when they will be hated.  When those times come, I hope they respond in love.  I pray they will be able to do so because I want them to find the life that Jesus promises that too few find, but I also want them to so that those who hate them may be redeemed as well.  I doubt this will happen by December, but I hope it either begins or continues a good work in them so that God will carry it out to completion throughout a life of discipleship to Christ. 

Canned Food Drive & Oasis

A couple reminders:

Oasis registration is due by Sunday.  Go here to register online.  And here is the medical release form I'll need for the weekend. 

The canned food drive is next week.  We will be going door to door in the Briarwood Neighborhood on Tuesday the 3rd and Thursday the 5th of November to collect canned goods for Thanksgiving baskets.  We need as many people (including parents) as we can to come help out!

October Discussion Question

It's hard to believe we are already 3 weeks into October.  Thanks to everyone who commented on last month's discussion.  I understand that some people tried to post a comment, but it didn't work for some reason.  Hopefully all the issues are resolved now. 

Here it is:  As a parent, what is the hardest thing you've ever had to say "no" to?

Resource

I thought I would post an article from The Barna Group today.  This is a study from a few years ago that researched what teenagers are looking for out of an experience with church. 

There are few things I'd like to comment on:

1 - I think it is important for us to remember that we are not selling a product.  Sometimes it is tempting to think: "This is what the people want, so this is what we should be."  If acquiesced to the popular demands of teenagers, I have a feeling we would do nothing but lock-ins and ski retreats, and we would leave the chaperons at home.  As the article states, wants and needs are not always the same thing.  We must be very intentional in preaching the truth of the gospel in every aspect of our students' lives.

2 - I think studies like this, however, are incredibly useful.  The beauty of the gospel is that it transcends all generations and all trends.  The things that students are looking for, the gospel supplies.  Its says that kids are looking for a connection to God, the gospel declares the good news that everyone can be connected to God the Father through Jesus the Son.  The challenging part is that the gospel is not a pick-and-choose proposition.  Christ demands our undivided allegiance and taught that the only to the Father was a life of sacrifice through submission.  These studies give us a great idea of where we can start the conversation.  Several years ago, I think we could start the conversation with, "Do you want to know how to not go to hell when you die?" because that was a question people asked themselves often.  I don't think the teens these days ask themselves that as much now as in the past.  I think now we should be starting the conversation with, "Do you want to know how to make your life meaningful?" and go from there.  All the conversations need to be working towards a common end, however.  That conclusion is: "There is no life outside of Christ." 

I would love to hear some of your thoughts in the comments. 

Cell Groups in October

As many of you probably know, I am focusing the cell groups on the book of Acts (what an original topic for a church of Christ youth ministry:). Each month we'll be looking at a different aspect of what the first century church looked like. I've decided I'll post a thumbnail sketch of what is discussed at each Sanctuary the following day so you can help your kids process and apply the information. Keep in mind, that each of the cell groups has the freedom to do their own thing, so it's up to each individual cell group leader whether or not they'll be discussing this topic or something the leader thinks is more useful to their students.

The first month, when we had our Cell Group Kickoff, we talked about Jesus' charge to the disciples to go into all the Earth and bring all cultures the good news and the challenges they faced as they encountered such vast diversity.

This month, we're looking at how the early Church approached poverty. The early Church eliminated poverty among their fellowship because they were willing to share with one another (Acts 4:34). Luke highlights the early Church's care and concern for widows (chap. 6), Tabitha, Barnabas, and Cornelius are all praised for their donations and concern for the poor, the church in Antioch is credited as having the first disaster relief program when they pooled their resources to help Judea while they suffered through a famine (chap. 11). My hope and prayer is that by looking into the example the early Church set in regards to their attitudes about wealth and generosity, our students can understand what a pivotal role social justice plays in discipleship to Jesus Christ.

October Calendar

Hard to believe we've come to a new month. I realized earlier this week that this was supposed to be posted last Thursday. Oops. Anyway, here are the things for the upcoming month.

Sunday, October 4th
Servantship Team Meeting - 12:30 pm
This time is approximate. This Sunday we have the guest speaker from the men's retreat, John Smith speaking to us on Sunday morning. There will be a fellowship meal after the morning service, then an afternoon service following lunch. We will meet after lunch. Also, remember that this Sunday marks the time change for our Sunday morning worship. Class will now start at 9 am and worship at 10 am.

October 9th - 11th
Vision Retreat
This is a very, very important trip for our ministry. This will be the weekend where we plan out our goals and strategy for the coming year. Any student who wishes to be on the Servantship Team really needs to attend this retreat. Students will need to bring money for 2 meals. We should be back on Sunday morning about the time church is over.

You may notice that our calendar looks a little sparse right now. That's on purpose. This month is our Vision Retreat, and I wanted to leave the calendar open so the Servantship Team could brainstorm ideas of ministry events for us. So, there's a possibility of seeing more things pop-up this month on short notice. Also, this month the Servantship Team is supposed to be organizing groups to go support fellow youth groupers in sports events or other performances. I am leaving the teens responsible for getting the word out about such events, so if you have a child on the Servantship Team, you may want to ask them if they are in charge of an event. If your child has a sporting event or band concert, or any other thing that we can come support them in, let us know.

September Discussion Question

With the school year beginning, life can get pretty hectic. School can be quite demanding on students and families and in my belief, education is vitally important to the development of children and adolescents. However, I do believe that sometimes our dedication to the academic success of our kids can become idolatrous if it exceeds our dedication to our children becoming disciples of Jesus. The question this month is:

How do you, as a parent, balance your child's academic and extracurricular activities with their involvement in church?

Cell Group Eating Schedule

The post-cell group eating places have been set and are on the calendar:

http://summervillechurchofchrist.com/scoc/youth

Hope to see you at Sonic tonight!

Servantship Team Reminder

4:45 today. The first meeting of the 2009-2010 school year, so it's important to be ther if you are interested in being a leader in the youth ministry this year.

Notes from the Kick Off

Wednesday Night was the kick-off to Cell Groups and a kind of unofficial kick-off to our school calendar. Here are some of the things we talked about in case you missed it. Or in case you didn't pay attention:

- We are a student-led, service oriented ministry. We want your kids to be involved in the ministry, not just showing up to see what they can get. You can read last week's post to get more of my thoughts on this issue.

- We take many trips in our ministry. Those trips are a strategic part of what we do. Unfortunately, these trips tend to get expensive, but we think they are worth it. If money is an issue, please don't let it be. We want your child to attend these events and we have money set aside in the budget to help them go. We are not close to exhausting that budget for this year. If we were to exhaust that budget, I know several people in the congregation who have told me to come to them if any kids need financial backing for these trips - and I haven't gone to them in years. If even that dries up, then we'll do carwashes and mow lawns and babysit and the like to raise money to go. All our trips have a specific purpose and I believe they are spiritually beneficial to your child. Not only does your child miss out, but the ministry suffers, because the group is better off when your child is there. (remember, we want your child to help in the ministry, so that means if they aren't there, we're down one minister)

- We have Life Groups on Sunday nights this year. This is new, so we'll be adjusting, I'm sure. As of now, the teens are all still in the youth room on Sunday evenings. There is a Life Group that will alternate between meeting at the Folgers and the Lesters for the parents of teenagers. Both houses are only minutes from the building. Also, if you have younger children as well as teens, there is a Life Group meeting in the annex for the parents of small children. Also, if you would like your entire family to attend another Life Group, I'm not against that. In fact, it could be a great blessing for your family.

- Cell Groups will be meeting in the Youth Room once a month this year for Sanctuary. Sanctuary is a time for us to all get together as a ministry to worship, learn, and fellowship as a group. At each Sanctuary, I will be talking about a different aspect of the early Church found in the book of Acts. This month I talked about the first century Christians' dedication to cultural diversity and the struggles they encountered trying to bring about Jesus' will for a Kingdom that reached every corner of the world.

Also, if you were there and picked up a "cheat sheet" for the trips this year, there were a couple typos (I really need to fire my editor). I just took last year's document and adjusted the dates and some specifics, but didn't notice that I had put the year. This should be obvious, but just in case it's not, the 2008s should all be 2009 and the 2009s should be 2010. Also, the dates for Restore say October 25-27th, it should say September 25-27th. Sorry about that.

The Servantship Team

On September 6th, we will have our first Servantship Team meeting for 2009-2010. Since the SST is such a crucial aspect of our ministry here, I thought I would take a minute and give you parents a little insight to what it is and why it's so important.

What is it?

The Servantship Team is basically our student leadership team. You might ask, "Why not just call it the 'leadership team'?" - which would be a fair question. In response, we want to make a statement about what leadership means in the Kingdom of God. We seek to imitate Jesus, and as Paul says in Philippians, we do this by serving one another. I want the teens to understand that leadership for Christians is not about "being on top" or "getting your way." In fact, its quite the opposite. The goal of the Servantship Team is to serve the other teens in the Youth Ministry and the rest of our congregation. We also seek to be lights in our community; to reach out to others in love and hopefully in the process, bear witness to them about the love they can enjoy from Christ. (I'd love to take credit for this idea, but like many of the great things about our ministry, I inherited this from Mike Eppes)

Who's it for?

The SST is open to 9-12th graders in our ministry. I would love to find a way to incorporate 7-8 grades into it, but logistically, its just not feasible at this point - although we do aim to instill in our 7th and 8th graders and understanding of the responsibility and benefits of service. For 9-12th graders, there are a few basic conditions on joining. Such as, they must be presently involved in our ministry, have committed to Christ through baptism, adhere to basic principles of Christian behavior, be able to be consistent in making SST meetings, etc. More specific guidelines will be developed once we get some input from the teens interested in joining.

What does it do?

As mentioned earlier, it's all about getting teens involved in serving others. Specifically, the students will plan events, develop ongoing programs, and give feedback on how we can improve in our ability to reach students with our message. Since all people are gifted differently, we aim to put each student to work utilizing their specific strengths, but also stretching them to grow in areas where they could improve.

Why's it so important?

There is an epidemic among churches today: we are losing many of our members after they leave high school. There are plenty of theories out there as to why this is so prevalent, but I believe it has to do with the way we tend to appeal to adolescents. We ask them to "buy into" our churches in a consumerist fashion. We try to impress them, entertain them, and relate to them. None of those things are bad, per se. But.... (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) we need to give more than that. We need to discipline them. I don't mean punish them, I mean make them disciples. We need to teach them that the joy of the Lord is found in living a lifestyle that honors him. Church is not supposed to be about showing up and receiving. It's supposed to be about living in a community of believers. A community where each member gives freely when they have something to give, and each member takes when they are in need. It's my opinion that teaching our kids to be ministry-minded will keep them involved with Church for the rest of their lives. From my experience in 6+ years of youth ministry, I have found that students who really lead by service in the youth ministry tend to be very proactive for the Kingdom beyond high school. They go on foreign mission trips, they intern at different churches, they return here to intern, they work in inner-city ministries where they go to school, they volunteer to help chaperon youth events, they become cell group leaders, and the list goes on. This is what I want for every student who truly wishes to be involved in our ministry.

How can parents help?

I'm so glad you asked. (oh wait, I asked for you, but nonetheless...) As with every aspect of your child's life, you will statistically be the top factor in determining the success of your child learning to serve in the kingdom. There are some very specific things that you can do to really help your child make our Servantship Team its most effective.

1 - Encourage your child to join. Notice I said "encourage", not "force." This needs to be a decision he/she makes on his/her own. If it is simply just another "church thing" they have to do, it won't yield much in terms of results for the student of for the ministry. If your child doesn't want to join for some reason, talk to them and try to understand why. If they seem timid or shy, let them know that it is a learning experience, and that God will use anything they are willing to offer. If they are just too swamped with other commitments, it may, or may not be, time to have a conversation about priorities. If they simply seem apathetic, it means that there is work you as a parent and we as a church have to do in teaching them what it means to really be a follower of Christ.

2 - Help them honor their commitment. If your child joins, take an interest in what he/she is doing. They will have responsibilities each month that others will be depending on them to tend to. Find out what those responsibilities are and help them fulfill them. Don't take over their commitments, but offer them advice, support, and encouragement as they carry them out.

3 - Let them see your service. This might be a toe-stepper here, but parents always need to be asking themselves what kind of examples their kids see in them. Are you involved in a ministry? If not, why not? Get involved in World Bible School, the Food Pantry, the Mom Store, Life Groups, the Prayer Ministry, the Basket Ministry, or any number of other ministries that we have here. If you don't like any of those, I can always use help with the teens. If you don't like me or teenagers, start your own - there's more than enough that can be done for the Kingdom in Summerville. Nothing teaches more powerfully than example.

As always, if you have any questions about the SST and how you or your child can get involved, then please don't hesitate to contact me.

School's Back!

The kids are back in school, which means I have a little more time on my hands now. Basically, I have some time on my hands, which is more than I have while the kids are out of school - so hopefully I can turn some much needed attention back to the blog. I'm kind of off my monthly schedule (in case you haven't noticed), but I'll try to get back on track in September.

For now, I'll just post a few things coming up on our horizon:

Restore - September 25-27
This is a youth conference in Myrtle Beach put together by the same group of youth ministers who have put together Carolina Workcamp and Carolina Salt University. This year's speaker is David Skidmore from the North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN.

The cost for the weekend is $95 and is for grades 7-12. There is a sign-up sheet in the back of the youth room, and more specifics should be out soon.

The Servantship Team
I gave the Servantship Team (SST) the summer off so we could retool in the fall. Well, the fall is about here. The first meeting is on September 6 at 4:45 in the youth room. If you don't know what the SST is, it is our student leadership team. It is open to students 9-12 who wish to express their devotion to Christ by serving the youth ministry. The SST is largely the engine of our ministry, in that they plan events, develop programs, and set the tone for how we can reach the youth of our community. If your child is interested in joining, I strongly suggest you encourage them in that venture - look for a blog next week about it.

The Vision Retreat - October 9-11
This is the Servantship Team's opportunity to spend a weekend setting a strategy for how we will grow as a ministry in the coming year. If your child is planning on being on the SST, they really need to make every effort to attend this retreat.

Harding City Tour 2009 - September 1st, 7 pm
Logan Light, the recruiter for our area from Harding University will be in town on September the 1st, and he's buying dinner for any seniors and their parents so he can have the chance to tell you about Harding... and when I say he's buying dinner, I'm not talking about peanut butter sandwiches - I'm talking Outback Steakhouse. Did I mention he's paying? I'm a die-hard Lipscomb man, but for one night a year, I become a Harding fan. If you have a senior and would like to attend, then RSVP with Logan by emailing him or calling him at 1-8....

Cell Group Kick Off/Parents' Night - September 2nd, 7 pm
Come out and meet your child's cell group leader and get information on what's new in the ministry for 2009/2010. Cell groups will start the next week.

Workcamp

Workcamp leaves on Sunday immediately after the 10:30 service. We will eat lunch somewhere on the way out of town - this will be the only meal not provided by Workcamp.

The information sheet handed out a long time ago says that we will be back on Friday. This plan has changed, we will actually be back late Thursday night. During the week, we will be staying at the Holland Park's building.

Here is a packing list for the week:

Pillow and either a sleeping bag or sheets and an air mattress (if you have one)

Work Clothes (make sure you bring tennis shoes)

Casual Clothes (for evening activities)

Soap, Shampoo, etc.

Towels

Sunscreen

Extra Spending Money (for snacks and things at some of the evening activities)

This is not Workcamp related, but if you need something to make you smile today, watch this.

Experimenting with Tweeting

Today is the first day of the Murphy Mission Trip. We arrived safely in Murphy this afternoon and are now all settled in at our host houses. I have opened a twitter account and will be tweeting (I don't make these terms up) updates about the trip.

If you sign up for an account, you can have Twitter text the updates straight to your phone. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

If it's successful, I'll start doing it for all our trips - and use it as another way to keep you up to date on what's coming up on the horizon.

Here's the instructions to get the updates sent to your phone (it's free except for whatever your cell phone service provider charges for standard texting).

1. - You'll need to sign up for an account. It's free and all you'll need is an e-mail address. I've only had my account for a couple weeks, but they haven't sent me any annoying messages.

2 - It will then ask you if you want to look for friends who are on Twitter. If you are interested in finding out if any old friends are tweeting, then you can do this. If not, you can skip it.

3 - Then it will ask you if you want to follow some famous people. If you're like me and don't care what Ashton Kutcher is having for lunch, you can skip this step too.

4 - Next go to the settings link near the top right corner. And click on the tab that says devices and put in your cell phone number. You'll need to send a text to the number it gives you confirm that it is your number. I haven't gotten unsolicited texts so far from Twitter.

5 - Then go to https://twitter.com/scocyouth, and hit the button that says "follow" and beside it there should appear a message that says "device updates off". Click on that and select "on". It seems to take a day or two for this to kick in. You can also choose hours for it not to send you texts so that your phone won't buzz at 3 in the morning if I just have to post a hilarious picture from a lock-in:)

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

July Stuff

Sunday, July 12th - Dockside Devo 6 pm - 9 pm, for everyone
We will have our Sunday Evening Worship out at the Watt's pond.
Guys need to bring a dessert and girls need to bring a side dish.

Monday, July 13th - M&M Monday, 6th-8th grade
Frankie's Fun Park! Meet at the building at 10 am, we'll be back by 3:30.

Tuesday, July 14th, 21st, and 28th - Beach Day 10 am - 4 pm, 9th-12th grade

July 18th-23rd - Murphy Mission Trip
Packing list:
Work clothes (t-shirts, modest shorts, close-toed shoes, work gloves)
Casual clothes for the evenings
Clothes for Sunday morning (please don't wear shorts or flip-flops)
Money for 2 meals, plus some extra spending money for little activities throughout the week (we will likely eat a fair amount of ice cream over the course of the week:)
Paintbrush, Hammer (if you have them, don't go buy them)
Some people may need sleeping bags, I will let you know as soon as I know.

Monday, July 20th and 27th- M&M Monday
contact Beth or Chase for more details

July 26th-30th - VBS
Talk to Alan or Cyndi Albach if you are willing to help out with VBS in the evenings

Impact

Currently I am sitting in a dorm room (with a newly fixed air conditioning unit, thankfully) at Lipscomb University in what feels like the eye of the storm. 900 something Jr. High kids left campus this morning, and now the campus is bracing itself for the arrival of 1500 or so senior high students.

This is always one of my favorite 10 day stretches of the year. Impact will always be a very special place for me. I have baptized several students from our youth ministry (Will Price, Melissa Lester, Shannon Graves, Kris Verrett, just to name a few) into Christ at Impact. I have witnessed emotional walls come down as students step out to renew their commitment and passion for Christ. I myself was baptized at Impact 16 years ago. I have made friendships through Impact that have helped me tremendously through my spiritual life. I was a counselor in 2000 when I became fully convinced that God wanted me to do youth ministry. It was at Impact that I learned that its not only okay for Christians to laugh and have a good time, but in fact it's good for them to do so. I also learned that faith was something to be taken seriously and practiced all the time. I have never been disappointed by an Impact. I have never come home after Impact and said, "I just didn't feel it this year." or "The theme just seemed a little weak." or "There just didn't seem to be much spiritual substance this year." With as many Impacts as I've attended as a camper, a counselor, and a youth minister (12) that's impressive.

So far, this year has been no exception. I just had the privilege of experiencing Jr. Impact with 7 of the coolest and most fun middle school girls on the planet. I was amazed at their maturity and spirit as they took the messages to heart and looked for ways to put them into practice. Our theme was "Hidden" and we talked about the way we try to hide who we are and what we've done from God and from others. We talked about how Satan tries to keep us hiding so that we don't become who we are supposed to be. We talked about God searches us out and that if we're willing to confess our shortcomings to him, he will be mighty to save. We talked about how God has hidden our life in Christ so that no one can take it away from us. We talked about neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nor the present nor future, neither height nor depth, no power whatsoever has the power to separate us from the love of God. I am confident that I sent some middle school students home (thanks for driving Heather & Shelia!) just a little bit different than when we brought them.

Please pray for us to have a similar experience over the next 5 days at Senior Impact.

The Kingdom

In Matthew 11, John the Baptist has been imprisoned, and has heard of some pretty remarkable stuff that his cousin, Jesus has been doing. John evidently knew he was proclaiming the message of the coming Messiah, but oddly enough, didn't seem to know much about exactly what was going to happen. He had to send some of his disciples (remember, he's in prison, the guards won't let him out for his errand) to ask Jesus if he was the "One" or if he was supposed to be waiting for somebody else. This is Jesus' response:

"Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

Once the John's disciples leave with their response for John, Jesus continues to the crowd that has gathered:

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.

I can just imagine the shock wave of excitement that must have come over the crowd. This was an oppressed people. The fruits of their labors seldom went to feed their family, instead they went to a people from a far off land who had subjugated them through violent military force and unjust economic practices. The land that had been promised to them by the true One God of the Shema taken by a cruel and foreign people. Many of them would have been hungry. Many diseased from a lack of nutrition and money for proper hygiene. Their people, the people that God had made a covenant with centuries before, were suffering everywhere around them. They were waiting for God to respond - to deliver them like he had from Egypt. They waited for the promised "shoot from the stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11) to bring about the glory of the Hebrew people once again. Undoubtedly, many of them had grown weary of waiting. Historical accounts tell us of men who grew tired and took up the cause themselves. Some are alluded to in scripture - Barabbas, or Theudus, or Judas the Galilean for example. Unfortunately, they all failed and made it even worse for the Israelites, provoking violence and tighter restrictions from the Romans. The priests had sold out to the Romans - watering down the Torah in exchange for power and legitimacy from the pagan government. Other religious leaders who were less willing acquiesce to the Romans piled up heavy rules from rabbinic traditions to prove their Jewishness in the face of such paganism. These rules did nothing to alleviate the suffering of the people, but simply served as a balm to the conscience of the few men fortunate enough to not have to work in the fields. In the midst of this, the people had waited.

And now.... finally, there was hope. This man in front of them - the one they had seen tell lame men to get up and walk, who opened blind men's eyes, who healed women of their diseases, who had fed the hungry - says to them, "The Kingdom is advancing". There is hope for the poor, the sick, the oppressed - the hopeless. The one they are waiting for has arrived - and he's brought hope. These people didn't know how good the news actually was. They were looking for an earthly, political kingdom. Jesus was talking about more. He was talking about a spiritual kingdom that knew no border. Not even death could defeat the mighty Kingdom this Messiah was talking about. This was a kingdom not just for them, the wayward children of Abraham - but for the whole world, the wayward children of Adam. Regardless of their misconceptions - the news was astounding. Here was hope, the dawn in darkness of night at long last. Jesus told them that there was hope for the blind, the lame, the deaf, the diseased, the poor. The Kingdom was coming. And further, though "forceful" men like John were leading the way - it belonged to people like them. The Kingdom wasn't only for the strong or the greatest, but also for the weak and the least.

Many teens are living in despair right now. A rundown of things that kids in our ministry have dealt with in the last month or so (no names here): a friend's suicide, the death of a parent, struggles with substance abuse, a parent's substance abuse, parents' divorce, parents losing jobs, medical tests to screen for disease. These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head that exist in the lives of the relatively small group of teens that are in our ministry. Now imagine the issues I don't know of in our group and the issues that exist to the larger community of teens in our kids' high schools and middle schools. Our ministry must exist to forcefully proclaim to these teens that the Kingdom is advancing. This Kingdom is for them. It welcomes the brokenhearted, the impure, the confused, the weary, and the weak. Not only does it welcome them, it redeems their sin, their grief, their despair - their humanness.

I can't think of anything more important for us as a ministry than to remember that from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom has been forcefully advancing. This needs to be in the forefront of our thinking. We should be challenging our kids who are Christians to proclaim the Kingdom it in their world through service to the poor, the broken, and the sinful. We should be encouraging the kids who don't know Christ to take hold of the Kingdom - to throw off the oppression of their sin and this self-absorbed culture. We should be teaching them that the Kingdom offers grace and mercy to even the worst of sinners and the people who seem to have little to offer. We must be teaching them that this Kingdom gives them victory over the worst oppressors ever known: Sin and Death.

Please take a moment today and reflect on how your family is proclaiming the Kingdom of God in your neighborhood and community. Make sure your kids understand that your family is living in the service of the Kingdom of Heaven, not this world. If you can't find any areas where your family is forcefully advancing the Kingdom, perhaps its time for a "family meeting" to rearrange some priorities and goals.

June Stuff (and Maybe a Little May)

First some news:
Our interns have arrived! We have some familiar faces back with us; Beth Hewitt who interned for us in 2007 and Chase Clayton who served as a member of our Servantship Team for 4 years in high school and as a school-to-volunteer intern in 2006-2007. I look forward to having them working with us this summer. Make sure you take the chance to get to know them both.

May 30 - Service Task Force
We will be meeting at the church building at 10 am on a Saturday to serve Hilltoppers in the church who need yard work done. We are looking for a big turnout from the teens, and we can use as much adult help as we can get. Lunch will be provided.

June 6 - Nicaragua Fundraising Day
All day Saturday the Nicaragua Mission Team will be raising money to help pay for their trip. They have asked the teens to help out with a car wash in the parking lot. Please talk to Heather King or David Henniger for more details.

June 12 - Feed the Public Servants
An all-nighter where we cook and serve meals to police officers, firefighters, EMTs, ER doctors and nurses. This is our way of saying "thank you" to the people who stay up all night to keep us safe. Teens are encouraged to stay the whole night, but if they can't, they should come and help out for a little while. Talk to Risean Green for more information on this event.

June 15 - Thriftstore Formal Extravanganza
Chase and Beth are putting this together as a way to welcome our rising 7th graders into the youth group. If you have a child who is currently in 7th or 8th grade, they will be getting you all the details very soon.

June 17 - Workcamp Registration is Due
Workcamp is August 2-7 in Greenville, SC. All the information should be available by next Wednesday Night (the 27th) in the hall outside the Youth Room.

June 18 - 22 - Junior Impact
We will leave at 10 am on Thursday morning. On Thursday night we will stay at my parents' house in NC so that we can be to Nashville in time for the start of Impact on Friday afternoon. If you need a packing list, email me and I will send you one.

June 22 - 27 - Senior Impact
The bus will roll out at 7:00 am on Monday Morning. If you need a packing list, email me and I will send you one.

June 29 - M&M Monday
For 6-8 grades

June 30 - Beach Day
For 9-12 grades

Spring Retreat Reminder

We leave at 5:45 pm tomorrow from the church parking lot. Please remember to have your kids eat before they come, as there won't be a dinner stop on the way up. They will need money for lunch on the way home on Sunday.

Another important reminder - video games, ipods, or any other personal electronic devices are not allowed on this retreat. They will be taken up if they are spotted on the bus or at the camp. Cell phones are allowed, but they must remain in the cabins while we are camp. If you have any PG or G movies, they can bring them to watch together on the bus ride up.

The Only Thing We Have to Fear....

I once taught a lesson on a Wednesday night about fears and doubts. I asked all the kids to write on little slips of paper things that made them afraid. The responses ranged from, "I fear that I'll fail my math class" to "I'm scared of dying and going to hell" to "I'm scared I'll end up in prison like my uncle." I expected some pretty heavy responses, but it turned out to be even a more sobering illustration that I had planned.

There is much in this world to be afraid of - just take some of the news making items this week:

The Taliban is gaining a footing in Pakistan, a nation with nuclear capabilities.
The swine flu is spreading all across the globe. Even a case in Charleston.
Hundreds of thousands more people registered for unemployment benefits because they had lost their jobs.

And this wasn't a particularly crazy week as far as news headlines go. Add that to all the worries of every day life: Bills, work, bills, kids, did I mention bills? You can see how we get so stressed out. Our kids don't get a pass on the worries of life either. Sometimes we're tempted to think that since they don't "grown up" problems like mortgages, then they're living the good-life and should just enjoy the ride of carefree youth. They have to worry about grades, college, which friends are actually friends, whether or not a boy/girl will ever love them for who they are, and they even have to worry about the question, "Who am I, really?"

I think as a youth ministry we need to be teaching kids how to have peace in the face of fear and uncertainty. I think I John 4:18 is the perfect place to start the conversation with our kids. It says: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment. It starts with the dedication to tell and show kids that they are loved. Not just by their parents (although that's hugely important) or by me (though I hope they know they are) or by their cell group leaders - but by God. That perspective makes all the difference in the world.

Jesus puts it this way in Luke 12:4-6: 4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. (Luke 12:4-6)

If you stop after verse five, as people are known to do, this could actually seem to make things even more scary. It makes it sound like Jesus is saying - "You think these people are bad? Just wait until God gets a hold of you. He can kill your body and soul." But verse 6 is important. God doesn't let birds suffer, because he cares so much about them. You, and our kids, are more important to God than birds. He will take care of us. Even though this world can hurt and even kill our bodies - it cannot touch our eternal soul.

As Christians, we are not given a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline (I Timothy 1:7) and if God is for us, then who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? As such, we should not live in fear about the things of this world. If the world seems to be getting worse around us (which its always been pretty bad), we need to know that no matter how bad it gets, we have the peace of knowing that our souls can be entrusted to God.

May Events

If your child has missed the deadline for Impact and wants to go, I may still be able to get them in. Sign them up for our waiting list and turn in a deposit ($50) and application into the pink box. Checks will not be deposited until I have secured a spot for them. Tickets purchased after April 29th cost an extra $25 (from Lipscomb, not me).

May 2 - Film Making Festival
We will get together and make videos to be shown at the Spring Retreat. Invite your friends to come help and to join us at the Spring Retreat. Time will be announced soon.

May 3 - Last Day to Sign Up for the Spring Retreat
Information sheets are available by the pink box outside the youth room. A medical release form and payment ($35) is due to be signed up.

May 15-17 - The Spring Retreat at PBC

May 17 - Last Day to Sign Up for Murphy Mission Trip.
Look for information packets coming soon beside the pink box.

May 23 - 3 on 3 Basketball Fundraiser for Murphy Mission Trip
We will be hosting a 3 on 3 tournament to raise money to offset costs for our summer mission trip to Murphy, NC. Teams must contain one member of our Youth Ministry and one visitor who is not currently a part of our ministry. Each team may have one adult, but the adult must be a member of the Summerville Church of Christ. The cost is $5 per person with prizes for the winners (and not to mention bragging rights). We also will be selling drinks in the youth room and players waiting for their next game will be able to play video games. We need people to play (so we make a little money) and to help out with putting the brackets together and working in the youth room. See Seth Summers for more details.

May 30 - Service Task Force
We will be performing "hits" on yards for the Hilltoppers. We'll be cutting grass, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, and pretty much anything else we can do. The more people we have help out, the more people we'll be able to serve. It would be amazing to have parents help out as well. (cough, cough, hint, hint)

April's Discussion

Tell us about your favorite experience you had in church or in a church event when you were in middle or high school.

Help Talking About That Thing You Don't Want to Talk About...

The Providence Road Church of Christ in Charlotte, NC is hosting an "Ultimate Escape" Seminar on Sunday, May 3rd. There will be separate presentations for teens and parents. Unfortunately, the teen portion of the afternoon is too late in the day for it to really be a possibility for us to go as a group. But... it may be a great opportunity for you parents. The parents' session is from 2-3:30.

Steve Holladay is the Director of Ministry for Ultimate Escape, which is an organization that helps teens and young adults develop healthy vision of sexuality and overcome addictive sexual behaviors. Later in the evening there will be a dinner provided at 6, and Steve will speak to the teens from 7-8. Many of the youth ministries that participitate in Workcamp and other events with will be attending. If your teens have been to those events, this would be a chance for them not only to hear an invaluable, relevent presentation on a difficult subject, but also an opportunity to see some of their friends.

If at all possible, I would recommend taking advantage of this opportunity for you and your family. Steve will address many of the topics that your kids are curious about or are currently receiving very bad information about from the culture. He also will give you, as parents, tools to help your children develop a healthy and Godly viewpoint on sexuality.

Impact Reminder

Just a reminder that Sunday is the deadline to be signed up for Impact.

Lipscomb's Impact application and a $50 deposit is due to be registered.

I Thessalonians 5:12-15

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Such great words. Ever since these these words of Paul have been pointed out to me, they have served as somewhat of a personal manifesto of how I want to approach ministry. I feel that churches need to take great care to appreciate the people who work hard to keep the wheels spinning. Those that are leading out front, and those working behind the scenes. There are too many to list here that work extremely hard to make our youth ministry as vibrant and healthy as it is. We have cooks who prepare food whenever we need it (and sometimes when we don't really need it, but it's always nice to have:), there are cell group leaders who have and are currently committing years of their life to serving teens on a weekly basis, there are teachers who will step in and teach a class of half asleep junior high students on Sunday morning - or a group of teens bouncing off the walls on a Sunday or Wednesday nights, we have chaperons who give up vacation time from their jobs to help drive us to out of town trips - just to name a few.

Then of course, there's you, the parents - who are trying every single day to instill Godly values into your teens and raise them to walk in the Lord. You get your child to cell group, you drag them out of bed on Sundays, you remind them of upcoming events, and you pay your hard earned money to cover registration fees for things like Impact and Winterfest. Don't think I don't notice.

Then we have the teens. Without the students putting forth the effort to grow in Christ, I'm afraid that much of the effort mentioned above would be going to waste. Fortunately for us, it seems as if we have been blessed with kids who tend to "get it". We have teens who plan events, who put it upon themselves to meet the new kids and visitors to the group, who will teach class, lead worship, clean, and pretty much do whatever needs to be done.

To all those people, we need to always be quick to show our appreciation and gratitude. So, if you are one of those people (you know who you are) - THANK YOU! If your teen is one of those teens, make sure you are acknowledging and encouraging them in their work for the church. According to Paul, we need to hold the hard workers among us in high esteem and give them our love and gratitude.

Then there are the others. Let's face it, not everybody in a church or a ministry fits that first category. Reading the book of Acts and the Epistles, it is pretty clear that church is an all-inclusive endeavor. Everybody should be considered equal, and everybody should be involved in the work that goes on. Paul seems to have three theories as to why some people don't roll up their sleeves and get dirty when it comes to the work of the church:

1 - They just don't want to. (the idle)
2 - They are capable, but too scared they'll fail. (the timid)
3 - God love 'em, they try, but they just aren't very capable. (the weak)


I love Paul's advice for dealing with each group.

To the lazy - "Get up and do something!" God has given us all talents and gifts, and we need to find what they are and get them working for the Kingdom of Heaven.

To the timid - "You can do it!" A little encouragement goes a long way. Some people need to know that their gifts and talents are needed and useful before they'll really jump in. I know that I have several key moments in my life where someone whose opinion I respect told me that I was going to be good at this ministry thing. I treasure those moments and am certain I would not be in ministry today without them.

To the weak - "Let me help." As Christians, I think its important that the strong don't run out and leave the weak behind. There is joy in serving - in fact, Jesus would say more than joy. Jesus would say that life itself is found in becoming a servant to others. We can't get too focused on accomplishing an end that we rush through the means. If someone isn't capable of doing a task that they set out to do, our response shouldn't be to snort and snatch that job away and then feel superior. Our response should be to help that person finish the work that Christ has given them to fulfill.

The final thing I want to highlight: be patient with everyone. Sometimes its hard to tell who fits in which category. Sometimes I wonder even for myself if I don't accomplish something just because I'm too lazy to do it, or because I just don't have the talent. It's way harder to tell in somebody else. Really, no matter which category someone falls into (or which category you think) they fall into, we have to remember to be patient with them no matter what - to love them and treat them with kindness.

So here's my advice for you on how to help us accomplish this:

Take stock in what your child is doing to contribute to the youth ministry.

If they are working hard to love and serve and learn: applaud them. Let them know that you respect what they are trying to do. Let them hear you speak well of them to your friends and family.

If they aren't contributing anything to the youth ministry, and you suspect its just because they're lazy: warn them (remember to be patient and kind!). Let them know why its so important that they get involved with their church family. They've been given gifts and they need to know to use them. You may also need to help your child prioritize if all their energy is going to something less fruitful.

If they seem like they want to contribute, but seem to be timid about it: encourage them. Remind them that everyone starts somewhere. Help them find what they are good at. Remember that teens are in a transition phase, so sometimes things that they used to not be able to do, they can now. For example, if a kid tried to lead a song once, and it didn't go so well because their voice cracked, encourage them to try again because maybe that phase of puberty is past. Whenever your child takes a stab at some kind of service or leadership, minimize the negative and accentuate the positive. Remind your child that they won't be perfect, but God will be glorified even through imperfection.

If they seem to want to contribute, but just can't seem to accomplish what they set out to do: help them. I know you're busy as a parent, but there's little that's more rewarding in life that working alongside your child in the kingdom of God. Remind them to fulfill commitments they make. Part of helping the weak get stronger is gradually letting them do more and more until they can stand on their own.

It is also worth mentioning that we all have our weaknesses. Those weaknesses may cause us to stumble or even fail from time to time. Remind your children that their worth to Christ and to the church is not based on their performance or their results. God uses the weak to his glory. In fact, God told Paul (a guy that I think we would all put in the category of "hard worker"), "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness."

and another thing...

David Henniger has created a social network site for our congregation (its kinda like facebook, but just for us). If enough people start using it, it could really be a helpful communication tool.

Go give it a try: http://schurch.ning.com/

Once you join, go join the group "youth parents." Let me know what you think of it.

April Stuff

April 4th - Spring Cleaning 8 am
This is a chance for the youth ministry to give back a little to the church that supports us so well. Mr. Wes and Ms. Eydie will be cooking us breakfast and Mr. Roy is lining up all kinds of projects around the building to give us the opportunity to serve. Even if you can't come for the whole time, please come by for a little bit to chip in.

April 13th - Sign Up Deadline for Jr. and Sr. Impact
On Sunday there will be information packets on Impact, as well as other trips on the horizon. This packet will give you the details on the trip and how to make sure that you're signed up.

April 19-24 - Cross Training
This is an event we do each year where high school students (grades 9-12) are invited to spend a week at the church building to develop spiritual disciplines. Students will come to the building each day after school where they will have a mandatory study hall to work on homework, then given extra time, if needed to finish. They will also eat dinner and sleep at the church. In between dinner and bed, students are taught how to manage their time in such a way that they can connect spiritually with Christ through prayer, Bible study and other disciplines.

Blogging Silence

I apologize for the absence of updates from the past 2 weeks. Things have been a little out of kilter, but seem to be returning to normalcy (if that's what you can call it).

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support for our family these past 3 weeks. It has been difficult and the mourning is far from over, but we have such a great sense of peace for Michael. There truly is not better feeling for us than to know that his struggle is now over.

On Thursday, I will be posting a schedule of events happening in April.

Discussion for February

Who is the person that you go to first for parenting advice? Why?

March Happenings

Hard to believe that March is already here. Here are the things happening in the next month:

Friday, March 6 - Dinner for Parents at Tim & Charity's Home. This is for parents of teens only, your teen has to find something else to do that night.

Saturday, March 7 - Fundraiser for Nicaragua Mission Trip. Every summer, members of the Summerville Church head to Jinotega, Nicaragua to open doors of opportunity for the Church in that community. As a youth ministry, the teens - even the ones not personally going on the trip - want to be involved in this great endeavor, so we will be helping raise funds to cover expenses. For more information on this particular fund raising effort, please contact Melissa Lester.

March 20-22 - Carolina Salt University
This is a trip that is organized by the Carolina Teen board to train and support those who are actively involved in leadership in their ministries. If your teen (grade 9-12) is interested in being involved as a leader in our ministry and going on this trip, then please have him/her come see me about it.

March 25 - Deadline to Sign Up for Junior and Senior Impact
I know it is crazy to already be talking about a trip in June - but Impact is such a great week that it fills up extremely quickly. There are already sign up sheets in the back of the youth room. In order to be signed up, I need a release form, an Impact application (both of these will be available on the table outside the youth room very soon) and a $50 deposit (or some other arrangement about payment).
The dates for Junior Impact (7th-8th grade) are June 18-22) and the price is $115
The dates for Senior Impact (9th-12th grade) are June 22-27) and the price is $200

Resources

I thought I would pass along a few of interesting stories from Newsweek I came across a while ago about youth culture. They are each a little lengthy, but I think they are very worthwhile reads for parents, particularly if you have girls. What struck me most about all 3 stories was the sense of belonging that all these kids are searching so desperately for. In the "No One to Blame" I thought it was interesting that despite the disagreements over causes and treatment, the one undeniable fact was what an important role supportive families play for success in the battle against anorexia. In the article on cutting, I find it interesting how many of those interviewed described themselves as lonely. "Out of the Shadows" was a sobering reminder to me about the importance of creating a healthy base of support for our kids. I think social networking sites like facebook are in general a great development in our society, but they obviously come with a risk. I know as a teenager, I felt like I was the only one around me trying to live a Christian life. I think groups like "100,00,000 Christians Worship God" could have really encouraged me to stay strong in the faith. On the downside, I think there are many kids out there finding the opposite true as well - that they can find someone on facebook who will condone just about any bad behavior that they may be caught up in. This is particularly troubling with things like eating disorders, self harm and drug abuse.

No One to Blame
Why She Cuts
Out of the Shadows

There are 2 basic reasons I posted these:

1 - To let you be aware of these issues. Hopefully, you will never have to deal with these issues as parents, but if you do, it is good to know a little about them beforehand.

2 - To remind us as we build on this youth ministry together the importance of creating a distinct community (a possible translation of the Greek word, ecclesia that we translate 'church') where teens who are confused or lonely can find love, patience and understanding.

I would love to know what some of you thought about these articles.

I also want to pass along one more resource to you. Homeword.com is a website that gives parents good information about how to talk to teens about issues and has some good insights into what's going on in the world of our kids. They have a free newsletter that you can sign up for that sometimes has some really good stuff.