To All Parents Out There,

Happy New Year! I pray that your 2014 is off to a great start! I love New

Year’s because it reminds me of God’s mercies, they are new every morn-ing according to Lamentations and they are certainly new each year. It is

a time of reflection on the past, gratitude to the Lord for His work in and around your life and hopefully, motivation to grow in your faith more and

more in the year to come.

This month’s Parent Link is all about helping your kids connect to Jesus. I

pray you will take time to read the articles, be motivated to lead your teens to Jesus and be mobilized to take action in that direction.

As a Student Ministry we are kicking the year off by connecting your teens

to Jesus. We are going to do that by spending time looking at the issue of Social Justice. We will kick off SM LIVE Wednesday, Jan. 8 by seeing from

Psalm 99 that God is just, loves justice and creates us to do justly in the world around us. In the following weeks we will have 3 guest speakers

talking about ‘social justice’ issues with our teens. Courtney Fain will talk with the High School students about Human Trafficking, Craig Currey will

talk about homelessness in Columbia and Abby Cobb will talk about homelessness, hunger and poverty in the Richland 2 School District. This

will run simultaneously with Souper Bowl of Caring where we will collect canned goods for the Richland 2 School District food pantries. The Gospels

portray a picture of Jesus who had compassion for the least and the lost

and He Himself met many needs, both physical and spiritual during his ministry. Prayerfully, by seeking to serve in the way of Jesus, we can con-

nect with Him in a more deeply personal way.

As we move forward know that you, your kids and your families are in our prayers. Above all, we pray that 2014 will be a year of treasuring Jesus

more!

Grace for the journey,

Jason E. Pittman

Director of Student Ministries of NEPC

The Student Ministry of NEPC exists to see students:

Reaching Up,

Reaching Around,

and Reaching Out

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Follow us on Twitter! Go to @NEPCStudents Get updates via SMS by texting follow NEPCStudents to 40404

We are on Facebook! Go to Student Ministry of NEPC High School or Student Ministry of NEPC Middle School

www.nepcsm.com

THE PARENTLINK | JANUARY 2014

NEPCPARENTLINK (insert logo or text here)

January 2014 FOR PARENTS OF TEENS

TIPS >>> PONDER THIS

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Of all the resolutions your family could draft for 2014, the most important is to

center your lives around Jesus Christ. In 99 Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living

(Simply Youth Ministry), Rick Lawrence provides practices for changing how you

relate to Jesus. One involves chewing on deep questions. Below are examples of

questions your family can ponder together this year:

Which word best describes how you see Jesus: nice, fierce, or mysterious?

Jesus said he’s the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). So why do we often

believe that “being a good person” is how we get to heaven? Today, how has

Jesus been your way, truth, or life?

What’s the difference, if any, between loving Jesus for who he is and for what

he can do? What’s one thing about Jesus that makes you grateful?

How can you live in the spirit of Jesus and do something kind for a “fringe

person”—the kind Jesus was drawn to?

If you sat next to Jesus on a plane, what are the first three questions you think

he’d ask you (besides your name)? Today, what’s one question you’d like Je-

sus to ask you?

THE VIEW

Ponder these findings about peo-

ple’s focus and priorities:

Teenagers say their top need is

“help building a positive rela-

tionship with God.” —Group magazine

Personal activities, hobbies,

hanging out with friends, and

earning money come well ahead

of evangelism as priorities for

the average Christian teenager. —Dare 2 Share

Only 12% of American adults

say faith is a top priority in their

lives. —Barna Group

What types of things would

you say your life is centered

around?

What would you have to

change to center your life

around Jesus more?

How can your family focus on

Jesus and faith during the up-

coming year?

Use these “orbital questions” from 99

Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living

for holidays this year:

New Year’s Day—Most good

friendships are based on mutual

giving. It’s easy to understand what

Jesus offers us, but what do we

have to offer Jesus that he doesn’t

already have? (Read John 15:14-

15.)

Valentine’s Day—Jesus never mar-

ried, and there’s no indication he

was romantically interested in any-

one, but do you think he ever flirted

with a girl? Why or why not?

Easter—Sometimes people who

don’t believe in Jesus say the bibli-

cal accounts about him were made

up by the Bible’s authors.

What’s something Jesus said or did

that no one could’ve made up?

Independence Day—Jesus often

withdrew by himself to spend time

alone; why do you think he needed

so much alone time?

Halloween—If Jesus were a little

boy now, would he go trick-or-

treating? Why or why not? If he

did, what costume would he wear?

Thanksgiving—Jesus is preparing

a special room in his “Father’s

house” for each of us. What do you

think your room will look like?

What do you hope it has in it? Why

would Jesus put that in your room?

Advent—If Jesus were a little boy

now, would his parents take him to

see Santa? What might he ask for?

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BIBLE FOCUS

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still oth-ers, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-16

GET TO KNOW JESUS Expert Insights for Parents of Teenagers

By Brian Berry

RESOURCE

Proof, a six-lesson study on the gospel of John, explores the ques-tion “Who is Jesus?” It encourages kids and families to understand the awesome privilege of knowing and being known by Jesus. Availa-ble at SimplyYouthMinistry.com.

Psychologists say all of us hold on to

“mental models” of people we know.

Due to the overwhelming amount of in-

formation our brains must organize, we

tend to defend the established way we

see something or someone. Even when

we get new information that challenges

our mental model, we hang on to what

we’ve come to believe is the truth.

A great example of this is Richard Jew-

ell, a private security guard at the 1996

Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He dis-

covered a pipe bomb, alerted police, and

helped evacuate the area before the

bomb went off. In the media, he was

initially celebrated as a hero. But

the FBI grew suspicious and pointed to

Jewell as a suspect. Though he was nev-

er charged with a crime, the cloud of

suspicion around Jewell gave people a

“mental model” of him as a terrorist—

even after the real bomber admitted the

crime.

This dynamic explains why few of us

have an accurate grasp of Jesus. Once

our understanding of him is established,

we tend to ignore or tune out new infor-

mation that doesn’t fit. One way to get

rid of these mental models of Jesus is to

blow them up, as if we were demolition

experts. Ask these three questions when-

ever you read anything about Jesus in

the Bible:

1. What did Jesus really say? (What

was the context of his remarks—

who was he speaking to, where

was he speaking, and why was he

speaking?)

2. What did Jesus really do? (In the

context of “normal behavior” in

Jesus’ culture, what impact—both

positive and negative—did his

actions have on people who heard

him?)

3. How did people really experience

Jesus? (What array of emotional

reactions did people have to Jesus,

and why do you think they reacted

that way?)

—99 Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

MAINSTREAM MUSIC

EMINEM Background: From Detroit’s under-

ground rap scene, Eminem climbed his

way to become the best-selling artist of

the 2000s. But controversy has always

dogged him. One of his first hits was a

song about taking his infant daughter to

dispose of his wife’s body. Eminem’s

lyrics are very raw, with language, im-

agery, and subjects that teenagers should-

n’t be exposed to. He’s had problems

with prescription drugs and alcohol but

became sober about five years ago.

Albums: The Marshall Mathers LP 2

(2013), Recovery (2010), The Marshall

Mathers LP (2000)

What Eminem Says: About using ho-

mophobic slurs, he says, “I never really

equated those words [with homosexuali-

ty]. That word was just thrown around so

freely back then. It goes back to that bat-

tle, back and forth in my head, of want-

ing to feel free to say what I want to say,

and then [worrying about] what may or

may not affect people.”

Explore: The explicit video for

Eminem’s new song “Berzerk” is availa-

ble here: www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ab9176Srb5Y

CHRISTIAN MUSIC

SWITCHFOOT

Background: Although Switch-

foot dislikes being called a

“Christian band,” their faith

shines through in all they do.

Their catchy songs have in-your-

face lyrics, and this lack of sug-

arcoating seems to contribute to

their popularity. Switchfoot’s

music has been featured in TV

ads and movies, and they’ve gar-

nered many awards. The latest

album also serves as the sound-

track of a documentary about the

band, which loves to surf.

Albums: Fading West (2014),

Vice Verses (2011), Hello Hurri-

cane (2009), The Beautiful Let-

down (2003)

What Switchfoot Says: Singer

Jon Foreman says, “None of

these songs has been born again,

and to that end there is no such

thing as Christian music. No.

Christ didn’t come and die for

my songs; he came for me.”

Explore: You can read more of

that insightful interview here:

www.ctkblog.com/2013/12/05/

why-switchfoot-wont-sing-

christian-songs/

MOVIES

Movie: I, Frankenstein

Genre: Action, Horror

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: This film is based on

a graphic novel, where gargoyles

and demons fight for power.

Somehow this is related to

Frankenstein and his creation,

Adam.

Our Take: This is from the

same people who made the

“Underworld” films. Those

weren’t good movies for teenag-

ers, so we’d advise caution.

Movie: Jack Ryan: Shadow Re-

cruit

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sus-

pense

Rating: Not yet rated (likely PG

-13)

Synopsis: This new film is a

reboot of author Tom Clancy’s

Jack Ryan character. Here Ryan

(Chris Pine) uncovers a financial

terrorist plot.

Our Take: With Clancy’s recent

death, there might be more press

and hype surrounding this film.

In the past, these have been well-

done and action-packed.

VIDEO GAMES

Doki-Doki Universe—This adventure game looks strange, weird, and wonderful. You’re a robot on a mission to

learn what it really means to be human. The game claims that players will learn something about themselves, too.

(Rated E10; PS3, PS4, Vita)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds—This new take on the classic game incorporates some 3D ele-

ments. Link can also go to 2D and hop onto walls to solve puzzles. (Rated E; 3DS)

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The Student Ministry of NEPC values a Gospel-Centered ministry where students can: Experience God’s Love and Express Love to God & Others

The Student Ministry of NEPC exists to see students: Reaching Up, Reaching Around, and Reaching Out

Sunday School 10:10 - 11 am

Sunday School 10:10 - 11 am

Sunday School 10:10 - 11 am

Sunday School 10:10 - 11 am

6:00-7:30 pm

6:00-7:30 pm

6:00-7:30 pm

6:00-7:30 pm

Gearing up for the 2014

Souper Bowl of Caring.

Contribute your canned goods to the Middle School vs High School canned food

drive.

Winner of the collection receives a pizza party! Participate in the NEPC Soup Kitchen on Jan 29. Free soup and sandwich dinner with donations going

to the Souper Bowl of Caring collection.

Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday collection is Sunday February 2. All proceeds will benefit a local Columbia charity. Get

involved and make a difference in your local community!

January 15: Human Trafficking Guest Speaker Courtney Fain

January 22: Homelessness in Columbia Guest Speaker Craig Currey

January 29: Poverty in Richland 2 Guest Speaker Abby Cobb