An independent Baptist church.
Archive for October, 2010
We live life within a certain set of values, but seldom do we actually think about our values. When we plan activities, particularly at this early stage of our ministry, we try to determine not only the details of the event but also the reasons (values) behind the whole activity. Each time we ask the teens to get together in some way there has been a reason in our minds, and we would not have the activity if it were not for the good of the teen and our church.
With that in mind, we have had several fun and productive activities already, and we appreciate the parents’ help in encouraging their teens to go along with us! While we constantly check and double check our reasons and values, we realize that we are also working with several different families, each of which has its own set of values. We certainly consider those values important, but we will challenge a teen to view a youth activity FAR more importantly than almost any other silliness they could be doing–homework, hanging out with friends (these are the two biggest excuses we get even for missing church!), watching TV, etc. When our reasons clash with righteous and purposeful reasons I will concede, but most often the teen will be helped by the activity. Parents, refuse excuses and realize that maybe their spiritual lives could be enhanced by attending. Even IF our main purpose may be to simply have some fun and build our group, we are always looking for times to talk with them personally, challenge them as a group, get to know their goals and push them toward righteousness.
JULY – Camp
Our first big activity was when we got to go to camp Ironwood! I cannot think of a better activity to attend, and I hope we can take more and more as the years go on. I have already sensed some excitement in the group about next year’s camp, and just this week have determined that we will attend Week 6 when WCBC staff member Bryan Samms will be preaching! Even if no other activity is attended, plan now to send your teen to camp next summer! With Pastor Shettler preaching this year we saw LOTS of good decisions made, and as much as we’ve been able to check on everyone, most of the decisions are actually affecting the teens’ lives still today. That’s a great deal, and it’s far more spiritually helpful than band camp, football conditioning week, road trips and the like. Our 2011 church calendars will be presented in January and you will know the dates of camp (and all other activities) far enough in advance to make sure you do not unknowingly schedule a vacation during those dates.
AUGUST – Beach Bash
A couple weeks after camp we had our annual beach bash activity where we played sand games, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, and watched the sun set over the ocean. While we did not have a devotional time, the activity was not without purpose. It was fun for everyone and a great way for us to get to know the teens a little better. With it being our first time out as their youth pastor, we appreciated the respect and obedience they’ve been trained to have! That means so much to us, and it is a huge stepping stone for life–understanding and obeying authorities even when you don’t even know them well. We again challenged them on the bus ride home to control their conversations and center them around the Lord.
SEPTEMBER – Youth Rally
Very seldom will any activity be more spiritually beneficial to a teen than going to hear preaching! When I was in the youth group I got around friends who liked preaching. When I got my own car and then later got my truck I would drive around listening to preaching. What could be better than some loud-mouthed, red-faced preacher telling me from the Bible how I need to live a cleaner, more Christian life?! Even today I listen to preaching on my iPhone all the time–when I’m out doing yard work, when I’m thinking through something along the same topic, and sometimes just for entertainment! That may seem strange to you, but if it does, ask yourself, “Self, why is that strange to me?” It could be strange because you’ve never really thought about it before. It could be strange for selfish reasons. Do you love the preaching of the Word of God? Youth rallies are wonderful times to get away for a day and enjoy time together around God’s Word. I have said it before and I’ll say it again–almost nothing else is more beneficial to a teen’s spiritual growth than hearing God’s Word preached. In fact, just this morning I listened to a message from Pastor Jim Shettler, and he reminded me of a principle that he had preached at camp this year: Spiritual Decisions + Spiritual Discipline = Spiritual Growth. When God’s Word is preached, the hearer is called to a time of decision. When those decisions are followed by the everyday disciplines of the Christian life, growth occurs. Parents, thank you for seeing the need for this activity, and for sending your teens. Do ALL you can to promote preaching within your household.
OCTOBER – Jr. High/Freshman Activity
Last week the Jr. Highers and the Freshmen battled it out at our house, and the finale of the night was when David got his dues and was tied to the basketball goal with toilet paper! Once again, it was a fun time with a smaller group as we crammed into our house and had a bunch of food and played some silly games. What a joy each of these teens is to be around, and we wish we could do something with them all the time! Their spirit of gratitude and their fun-loving personalities made it a memorable night for everyone. Parents, thank you for waiting around for us to get done! Your teens are a blessing and we thank you for once again allowing us some time with them.
We are doing as much as we can to simply get to know the teens at this stage, and we could not be happier with their spirits to grow and learn. While we have WAY more ambitions, goals and dreams for them than can be accomplished short-term, it’s a blessing to see them desire to be what God wants them to be. Foster that attitude and push them to do more for Him this school year!
If you lost your printed calendar, did not save the original schedule, or are just curious about who’s singing or practicing this week, we are glad to announce the new Music Calendar Online! This Google Calendar is accessible by anyone, can be synced with your home computer and your mobile phone, and is instantly updated with every change.
Each of the specials are listed first, and on each Sunday you will see a listing entitled SONG, PRE, and SCREEN. These entries are in conjunction with the new screening methods we implemented a few weeks ago, and now you will be able to see exactly when you’re expected to have your song ready. We hope this new feature is a blessing and a help, and if you have any questions we will do our best to resolve them as soon as possible. Of course, we are always working out the bugs in a new system like this, so we appreciate any input you might have. Whether we can do anything with it right away or not, we will certainly consider it!
Thank you and enjoy!
Sunday Mornings – From Faith to Faith
It has been an exciting and fun experience (for me at least!) as we’ve been progressing through our two series: “From Faith to Faith” and “The Gender Series.” Sunday mornings have so far been just an introduction to the book of Romans as we dive more and more into it. Our theme verses for the Teens of Faith (and for the whole book of Romans) are Romans 1:16-17, and about the first four weeks were simply spent in a broad overview of the book.
Who wrote it? Why was it written? Why would the author spend time writing this letter to this church in Rome, and why should WE care about it?
As you initially study a passage of Scripture, these and other questions should be forming in your minds. The Bible IS an ancient book, and it’s our job to not only find out what God said, but, through that, what he is saying to us! Our “birds-eye” view of the book showed us that Paul had a distinct purpose in mind in his letter, and he was writing to get the church to see that the Christian life is much more than an event, but it’s a process.
Chapters 1-3 are a major discussion on sin and every man’s standing before God: condemnation. Chapters 3-5 are so precious and beautiful because although we’re all helplessly condemned, God has made a way out of all that through his love: salvation. But that’s not all… chapters 6-8 tell us that God wants his children to grow and change: sanctification. Chapters 9-11 deal with a lot of doctrine and future dealings with Israel: dispensation. Finally, Paul writes that as a person is saved and begins to be changed through the Spirit’s power, he ought to constantly be using his gifts and energy in giving back to the Lord through service: application.
So far, we’ve just barely started in Paul’s intro in Chapter 1, but already as we study God’s Word, we can make no apology for asking more from Christian teens. Paul says that he is a debtor, ready and not ashamed of the gospel. The headline of the book of Romans is that “The Just Shall Live By Faith!” Can that be said of each teen, or does the headline above his or her life say something a little different?
Wednesday Evenings – The Gender Series
Another interesting journey we’ve been on is our study of the Gender Series. We spent several weeks laying the foundation and the biblical goals for our gender, and much of the lessons in the following weeks will be on application.
Marriage – a HUGE step in most of our teens’ lives will be their marriage, and most of the references to gender in the Bible are related to marriage. While we are NOT encouraging them to get married right now, we ARE stressing the importance that the point of dating, courting, engagement–whatever you’d like to call it–is to grow closer to God until each is ready for marriage. God created Adam, but this single human was something that God looked down on and said, “Not good.” Wow! His own creation wasn’t good?
Well, it was not good that man was alone, so he created Eve–someone who was “perfectly suited just for him,” or, “meet” for him. She was his “help” that was “meet for him,” or, “according to the opposite of him.” God created someone so perfect and instituted a gorgeous union called marriage: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (weave).” Genesis 2:24 Every teenager is right now working on his or her marriage! The way that they conduct themselves now is forming their opinions and habits about how they should act, think and feel about members of the opposite gender. Our goal through the series is that they learn to fulfill their individual roles as a man or a woman now.
God’s image - God created man to bear his image, but he created mankind to bear his image as male AND female (Genesis 1:27). That means that when he first created the perfect man and the perfect woman (before sin was introduced in the garden), man was 100% masculine and woman was 100% feminine in order to perfectly bear His image. Our goal is to be exactly what God wants us to be–a male or a female who is absolutely fulfilling his or her roles. When we neglect Bible teaching, we step away from 100% masculinity or femininity and are not where God wants us to be.
Steps - We spent a few weeks talking about what those steps look like. For women, a step out of 100% femininity would be a step toward the thinking of feminism–a teaching that basically says that women are equal to men in ALL areas, including social, family and church. (Gen. 3:16 “thy desire shall be to thy husband [his position of authority]“) While women and men are equal in areas such as quality, worth, spirituality and value to God, they cannot be equal in role, function and authority, according to the Bible. Pure womanhood is so much more precious and beautiful than our minds can imagine, and looking at it from God’s perspective, one cannot but desire to be at 100%! A woman’s main power is her influence.
Couple that influence with a man’s authority, and you have what I’ve been calling an “unstoppable” couple. A man has no authority outside of God, and we’ve spent a lot of time emphasizing that all the responsibility of the family rests on the man’s shoulders! (Eph. 5:23, 25) A man who is fulfilling his roles as a caring, loving, leading, biblical man carries FAR more authority than some big-mouthed tough guy! In fact, we spent a whole message on how a man steps back from 100% masculinity–by being too soft of a sissy or being too hard of a dictator! (I used the term jerk, but maybe that’s a little harsh for this setting!)
Future lessons – What will follow in our series are more lessons on what those roles look like in our culture and in this time. We are not too impressed with the guys who look sloppy and don’t treat ladies right, and the loud-mouthed, assertive model our culture pushes on our young ladies is far from the beautiful flower that God has designed. 100% masculine is not the macho, tough guy, and 100% feminine is not some dainty little girl who’s incapable of anything… quite the opposite. God desires and commands men and ladies to act certain ways and be certain things. Our prayer is that your teens’ daily lives are affected and that they learn now to be exactly what God has designed them to be. They would text, interact, think, talk, walk and act completely differently if they really desired God to work through their lives.
Parents - Parents, encourage your children to live right, and model to them the attitudes that they should follow. Your influence is far more long-lasting than mine, but if I can be a help in any way, I’ll do my best. Try your hardest to attend on Wednesday nights and have your teens in the Teens of Faith.
DATE: This Sunday, October 3
TIME: After evening service (about 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.)
PLACE: Bro. Ryan and Mrs. Jamie’s house (follow the sidewalk around to the back of the church.)
AGES: Anyone in grades 7-9
COST: $0
WHAT: A simple time of games and food! Nachos and drinks will be provided, and all we ask is that you attend if you’re in grades 7-9.
