Archive for December, 2010

Because we’d received a few subtle (note the sarcasm) questions like, “What in the world is this thing, anyway?!”, we printed a bulletin insert that explained a little more of what we’re trying to accomplish with the Preaching Rally, and how church members can be involved.  The following is what we handed out, in case you didn’t get one:

WHAT IS IT?

The Preaching Rally is a day for Southern California churches to bring their teens to our church for an encouraging day of preaching centered around one theme: Surrender.  We will host and feed the groups that come, and we will do our best to make an impact through every detail of our rally.  The day will consist of three separate preaching sessions from Romans 12:1-2, each building on the other.

WHAT CAN I DO?

With LOTS of opportunities to be involved, we are hoping for 100% participation from our church.  The details and jobs will be dispersed in the church-wide meeting on January 9, so please do your best to attend that meeting.  “Chiefs” have already been set in place and instructed to recruit team members for their areas of responsibility, and everyone will be able to participate in the “Buy-a-Bag” campaign.  For under $2 each, we want to send every attendee home with a little candy and some souvenirs.  Not only will everyone enjoy receiving something, but it will further remind them of spiritual decisions that are made on this day.  Further help is needed in the following areas, and their directors (“chiefs”) are as follows:

• DECORATIONS (Wendy Rench)
• REGISTRATION (Chris Rangel)
• ASSEMBLY (Chris Rangel)
• GROUNDS (Todd D./Walt P.)
• PARKING (Todd Duguid)
• PHOTO/VIDEO (John Solie)
• HOSPITALITY (Alice Bell)
• CHILDCARE (Carrie Rench)
• FOOD (Ron Branch)
• SKITS (Jared Burkholder)
• MEDIA (Nathan Rench)

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?

• LOCATION:  Calvary Baptist Church | Temecula, CA
• DATE:  Saturday, February 26, 2011 | TIME:  11am-3pm
• COST:  $5 (including all workers/attendees)
• VISIT: www.cbctemecula.org/pr

Every now and then I’ll hear a tiny little *poink* go off, somewhere in the faaaaaaaar back corner of my brain, and I’ll think, “All right!  A thought!”  I’ll rattle that thought around and eventually come to a conclusion.  Well, I had a *poink* go off as I’ve been thinking through a couple things.

The last thing I wanted when my wife and I came was to give the impression that we were big-shots.  Au contraire… we’re just a couple kids who are fresh out of Bible college.  But at the same time, we wanted to teach the teens to respect an authority, and we asked them to call us “Bro. Ryan” and “Mrs. Jamie.”  As I was writing a few letters today and signing them “Bro. Ryan,” I thought, “I wonder how that sounds to someone who hasn’t been around church very long.”  I’ve been asked by a few sets of parents as to what I would like them and their children to call me, and sometimes I feel strange calling myself “Bro. Ryan.”

Well, here are a couple principles that I try to teach the teens:

1) Using the title is biblical. It’s not just a strange Baptist thing we do… the phrase is in the Bible!  In Acts 9:17, the men say “Brother Saul” to indicate Saul’s conversion.  All throughout the New Testament we are considered brethren in Christ.

2) Using a title shows respect. While I do not teach that it’s wicked and ungodly to refer to an authority, an elder, etc. by his or her first name, common courtesy and long-standing etiquette say that it’s basically expected.

3) It is often about the respect you desire to show rather than the person’s wishes. With the teens, we teach that they ought to basically use a “title” (for lack of a better term) unless explicitly demanded otherwise.  While some people would prefer their first names to be used, we like to encourage the teens to use a term that is to the level of respect that they desire to show (preferably “Bro.” and “Mrs.”)

4) Using a title helps teach on authority. Small things make up big things, and if someone has a spirit that is unwilling to bend in what they think is a small thing (“I’m not calling him “Bro. ____!”), it’s probably an indication of a big problem with authority inside.  The young generation is a “Why should I?” generation, and wants to figure it out alone.  Anything that promotes godly authority should be encouraged.

Some of these principles seem small in importance, but they helped me answer some interesting questions: “Why do we use that term?”  ”How is it respectful?”  ”What if we get some young youth staff… Would they be ‘Bro.’ and ‘Mrs. ____’ too?” etc.

I hope it’s a blessing.  Now I’ve got to wait around for another *poink*.

Parents and teens, here’s a look at next year’s calendar.  If there’s anything you have questions on or desire to know more about, please let me know.  The tentative costs (please don’t hold me to them!) have been listed as well, so you’ll know how to plan.

Activities (that are planned and on the calendar)

• Jan – Winter Rendezvous $125
• Feb – Preaching Rally $5
• Mar – HBBC Trip $200
• Apr – WCBC Youth Conf. $120
• May – TBD $0
• June – Lockin/Yard Sale $0
• July – Camp $285
• Aug – Beach Bash $2
• Sept – Liberty Youth Rally $5
• Oct – Bonfire $2
• Nov – WCBC College Days $35
• Dec – Christmas Party/Caroling $0 (gift)

Parent Meetings

• Mar 6
• June 12
• Sept 18

Fundraisers

• Jan – Babysitting
• Mar – Ping-pong Tourney
• May – Pie Fellowship
• June – Yard Sale
• July – Comedy Night, Sunday AM Bake Sales (TBD)
• Sept – Chili Cook-off
• Dec – Pie Fellowship

This Sunday is a huge day for us!  Starting at 10:00am, the Adult Bible classes and children’s classes will meet in their respective age groups and enjoy time in God’s Word.  At 11:00am, the special service will include a Christmas Choir Cantata, and every family will receive a beautiful church calendar as our gift to you!  Starting at 6:00pm will be a Christmas play entitled Then Jesus Came, a touching story about an old church, a young pastor, and God’s hand at Christmas time.  You will not want to miss a minute of church, and we promise that the services will be a blessing to you and your family.

Merry Christmas!

LEAVING: 3:30pm Thursday, January 6 (CHANGED: was 4:00)

RETURNING: 3:30pm Saturday, January 8 (CHANGED: was 2:30)

COST: $125 (includes lodging, food, and all activities)

WHAT IS IT?

The Youth Winter Rendezvous is a time to get away for a couple days and make some good memories in the snow.  We will stay at the Inn Der Bach and have preaching sessions each morning and night.  Throughout the days we will play games, go snow tubing, and relax!  Lighthouse Baptist Church in Moreno Valley and Mountain View Baptist Church of Hesperia will be joining us, and the whole trip will be a time to grow closer to the Lord together.

DOWN PAYMENT:  Please have your $50 down payment in by Sunday, December 19.

PAYMENT:  Please have total payment of $125 in on Sunday, January 2.

Making memories without regrets is a wonderful part of church activities! Enjoy some pictures from the Teens of Faith Christmas party…

10:00 Sunday morning.  A few songs are sung, a few announcements are given, and then a lesson is taught that basically challenges the Christian to do and be more.  Sometimes in the quest for higher ground and accomplishing more for Christ, we overlook some of what we think of as “small” duties that get done all the time.  It does my heart so much good every time I sit back, relax, and think for about 20 minutes on how much people do around here!

I started a list of all the things that each of the teens do or have been involved with, and what a blessing it was to think through every single face on my list and be able to point to something they’ve got their hands in at church (well, not quite ALL of them but we’re working on that!)  Some people give time every single week doing yard work or computer work.  Some take care of the choir platform and cleanup, while a team of others are our greeters on Sunday mornings.  We have guys that lead singing and girls who are intentionally friendly and encourage new people.  We have LOTS involved in special music with the Mixed Ensemble and Young Adults Choir, and we have others who want to be involved by changing out the promotional posters around church.  ”Small things” like that are often overlooked, but when you think about it… someone’s got to do it!

It’s great to see a few who come to Saturation Saturday, Men’s Prayer Breakfast, or weekly soul-winning, and I love it when the teens immediately volunteer for anything that needs to be done.  Service gets your mind off you and onto Christ.  How could that NOT be helpful?  As was mentioned yesterday, “You’ll know how good of a servant you are when someone actually treats you like a servant!”

When you come to church, think of ways in which you can take initiative.  Teens, I may not see every little thing that’s done in service, but the good news is that God does, and it’ll all come out in your judgment (a reference to our Romans series.)  Thank you all for meaning so much to us!

Last week was our final split session, concluding the second of the three overall “stages” of our series: 1) Biblical groundwork on gender, 2) Practical applications of roles, and now… 3) Some good ideas about dating… Wait!

To summarize, men and women are created equal in position before God and are equally loved by him, but the roles that each is expected to fill is different.  Men are initiators and protectors, while ladies are at their best when they are a challenge and are submissive.  (Uh oh!  Are we really teaching on submission?!)  The men are responsible for the home and so much rests on his shoulders as he submits himself to others and ultimately to God.

While each role has its biblical implications and commands, a lot of specifics are not addressed in Scripture.  That is why we spent several weeks on some practical applications of what it might look like for a man to be 100% masculine and a lady to be 100% feminine–the way God originally designed us and intended us to be!

Among many other lists of things we spent time saying that a man should never threaten, touch, or tease a lady; and a lady should never be aggressive, alluring, or argumentative.  Someone might think, “I can’t believe you’re degrading me like this.”  But to that I say you are at your absolute pinnacle of power when you are most submitted to your role in God’s eyes.  There’s nothing that can touch a man who uses his authority in a godly way and who cherishes a lady like a precious flower.  In contrast, a woman who tries to take that authority only comes across as a sad shell of what she could be.  God’s design is absolutely unstoppable when a lady uses her godly influence, especially when coupled with a husband’s godly authority.

“So, Bro. Ryan, you’re talking to my kids about marriage?!”  Well, in a sense I am, because most of the references in the Scripture about gender are tied to marriage.  But we’re spending most of our time on the practical, daily lives they live.  I taught a whole lesson on the fact that they ought not be touching or teasing with each other.  You may find a “no-touch” policy ridiculous and absurd, but I’d challenge you to show me how it can help their spiritual lives.

We’re teaching on simply “stepping it up” in every area of our lives: service, dress, speech, attitude, look, interaction, friendliness, etc.  Simply put… Be sharp!  A way to accomplish “stepping it up” is to take practical steps that show on the outside what’s on the inside. The following are in no particular order, but here are some things we encourage in our teens:

EVERYONE

• Dress up for church
• Shake at least 5 people’s hands during the welcome time
• Introduce yourself and greet every guest to the class and every guest speaker
• Speak up when addressing others
• Look others in the eyes, and (men) give a firm handshake
• Volunteer to help with anything
• Attend every Saturation Saturday
• Write one encouraging note per month to someone in any church leadership
• Setup/cleanup pie fellowships

MEN

• Always wear a belt
• Keep your hair off your ears and off your collar
• Wear a tie on Sunday mornings
• Iron your clothes
• Mow Pastor’s lawn

LADIES

• Wear a skirt or dress to church
• Appeal, don’t demand (and you’ll get what you want!)
• (And, my personal favorite) If a guy tries to touch you, 1) take your pristinely-manicured thumbnail, 2) shove it right in his eye, 3) push on!!

These are tangible evidences that we’ll be able to see (and sometimes “police!”) in our teens.  It encourages Mrs. Jamie and me more than anyone can understand when we see the teens’ hearts and willing spirits to change and grow.  We LOVE being around them, and it is so rewarding to come in the next week and see haircuts, shirts tucked in, people being more friendly, and teens being generally more “sharp.”  Parents, thank you for letting us help!  We will do all we can to help your teen grow.  If you EVER need anything, we’re just a phone call, text, or email away.

As I always try to encourage the teens:  Do right, love God and love others!