parent connect september 2014
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids
on their social media sites. Consider these social
media guidelines:
1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your
teenagers’ friends.
2. Never comment on their posts.
3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.
Use social media to glean information – not to
process it!
WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’
something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at
a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we
need to be aware of are the messages our students are
absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages
all the time from the world around us. Many students
find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing
happiness or completeness comes from the
acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the
subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us
as parents open dialogue and engage in communication
while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to
accomplish this:
1. Regularly connect with your teen about the
messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask
them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve
watched recently, then follow up with questions like
“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions
did that illicit in you?”
2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.
Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind
them how much you want to stay involved in their
lives. Help them understand that having access to
social media accounts and talking about media
messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love
invasion that you have launched on behalf of the
relationship.
3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie
together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or
questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our
internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.
In all areas, stay connected and ‘intheknow’ by
keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.
Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is
going in!
By Lars Rood
YOUTHCULTURE
A WORD FROM THEWORD
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless for the day of
Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that
comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and
praise of God.
Philippians 1:911 (NIV)
A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one
of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.
Their faith journey is very important to me. And I
freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the
new school year. While I want them to be established
in a good school, with sports and other activities, I
want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.
It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point
in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even
myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority
over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the
reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk
simply because they lost opportunity for regular
connection with their church, Christian friends and
youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.
Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and
discern what might be a good fit for your students. I
help my own kids try to figure out what most
connects them with their faith at church. We look at
everything from youth group to children’s choir,
volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions
and then we decide which things will best help their
faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and
then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.
The new reality for many students simply does not
allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or
attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your
teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and
make sure to prioritize those things over everything
else. Coach them to faith success just like you do
educational achievement. It’s the most important
coaching you’ll do all year!
By Lars Rood
MODEL IT
Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms
and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a
neverending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the
game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.
How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before
meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t
get the faiththing exactly right?
Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday
worship service.
IN THEIR WORLD
VANCHURCH STUDENT
MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL
Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.
Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.
Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.
Gas Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.
Tires Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.
Oil Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.
THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed
surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it
helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).
Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,
the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about
the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI It began a rage of getting others into the
picture!)
Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an
underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.
Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches
everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect
photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.
Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment
– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that
don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids
to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost selfworth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.
Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that
perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all photobomb their next selfie!
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
31 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
SEPTEMBER 2014
FaithQuest
Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Dear Mom & Dad:
We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This
monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in
communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and
information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.
School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And
everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will
be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities
than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,
what’s better, and what’s best!
Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this
calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the
opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We
love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.
So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us
the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to
make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up
and motivation starts winding down:
Hebrews 12:12 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!
Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team
DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids
on their social media sites. Consider these social
media guidelines:
1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your
teenagers’ friends.
2. Never comment on their posts.
3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.
Use social media to glean information – not to
process it!
WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’
something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at
a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we
need to be aware of are the messages our students are
absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages
all the time from the world around us. Many students
find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing
happiness or completeness comes from the
acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the
subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us
as parents open dialogue and engage in communication
while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to
accomplish this:
1. Regularly connect with your teen about the
messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask
them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve
watched recently, then follow up with questions like
“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions
did that illicit in you?”
2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.
Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind
them how much you want to stay involved in their
lives. Help them understand that having access to
social media accounts and talking about media
messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love
invasion that you have launched on behalf of the
relationship.
3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie
together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or
questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our
internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.
In all areas, stay connected and ‘intheknow’ by
keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.
Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is
going in!
By Lars Rood
YOUTHCULTURE
A WORD FROM THEWORD
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless for the day of
Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that
comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and
praise of God.
Philippians 1:911 (NIV)
A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one
of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.
Their faith journey is very important to me. And I
freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the
new school year. While I want them to be established
in a good school, with sports and other activities, I
want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.
It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point
in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even
myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority
over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the
reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk
simply because they lost opportunity for regular
connection with their church, Christian friends and
youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.
Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and
discern what might be a good fit for your students. I
help my own kids try to figure out what most
connects them with their faith at church. We look at
everything from youth group to children’s choir,
volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions
and then we decide which things will best help their
faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and
then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.
The new reality for many students simply does not
allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or
attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your
teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and
make sure to prioritize those things over everything
else. Coach them to faith success just like you do
educational achievement. It’s the most important
coaching you’ll do all year!
By Lars Rood
MODEL IT
Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms
and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a
neverending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the
game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.
How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before
meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t
get the faiththing exactly right?
Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday
worship service.
IN THEIR WORLD
VANCHURCH STUDENT
MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL
Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.
Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.
Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.
Gas Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.
Tires Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.
Oil Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.
THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed
surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it
helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).
Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,
the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about
the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI It began a rage of getting others into the
picture!)
Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an
underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.
Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches
everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect
photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.
Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment
– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that
don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids
to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost selfworth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.
Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that
perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all photobomb their next selfie!
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
31 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
SEPTEMBER 2014
FaithQuest
Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Dear Mom & Dad:
We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This
monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in
communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and
information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.
School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And
everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will
be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities
than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,
what’s better, and what’s best!
Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this
calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the
opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We
love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.
So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us
the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to
make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up
and motivation starts winding down:
Hebrews 12:12 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!
Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team
DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids
on their social media sites. Consider these social
media guidelines:
1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your
teenagers’ friends.
2. Never comment on their posts.
3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.
Use social media to glean information – not to
process it!
WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’
something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at
a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we
need to be aware of are the messages our students are
absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages
all the time from the world around us. Many students
find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing
happiness or completeness comes from the
acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the
subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us
as parents open dialogue and engage in communication
while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to
accomplish this:
1. Regularly connect with your teen about the
messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask
them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve
watched recently, then follow up with questions like
“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions
did that illicit in you?”
2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.
Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind
them how much you want to stay involved in their
lives. Help them understand that having access to
social media accounts and talking about media
messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love
invasion that you have launched on behalf of the
relationship.
3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie
together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or
questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our
internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.
In all areas, stay connected and ‘intheknow’ by
keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.
Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is
going in!
By Lars Rood
YOUTHCULTURE
A WORD FROM THEWORD
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless for the day of
Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that
comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and
praise of God.
Philippians 1:911 (NIV)
A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one
of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.
Their faith journey is very important to me. And I
freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the
new school year. While I want them to be established
in a good school, with sports and other activities, I
want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.
It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point
in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even
myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority
over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the
reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk
simply because they lost opportunity for regular
connection with their church, Christian friends and
youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.
Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and
discern what might be a good fit for your students. I
help my own kids try to figure out what most
connects them with their faith at church. We look at
everything from youth group to children’s choir,
volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions
and then we decide which things will best help their
faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and
then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.
The new reality for many students simply does not
allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or
attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your
teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and
make sure to prioritize those things over everything
else. Coach them to faith success just like you do
educational achievement. It’s the most important
coaching you’ll do all year!
By Lars Rood
MODEL IT
Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms
and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a
neverending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the
game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.
How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before
meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t
get the faiththing exactly right?
Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday
worship service.
IN THEIR WORLD
VANCHURCH STUDENT
MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL
Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.
Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.
Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.
Gas Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.
Tires Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.
Oil Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.
THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed
surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it
helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).
Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,
the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about
the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI It began a rage of getting others into the
picture!)
Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an
underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.
Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches
everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect
photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.
Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment
– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that
don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids
to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost selfworth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.
Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that
perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all photobomb their next selfie!
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
31 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
SEPTEMBER 2014
FaithQuest
Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Dear Mom & Dad:
We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This
monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in
communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and
information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.
School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And
everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will
be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities
than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,
what’s better, and what’s best!
Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this
calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the
opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We
love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.
So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us
the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to
make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up
and motivation starts winding down:
Hebrews 12:12 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!
Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team
DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids
on their social media sites. Consider these social
media guidelines:
1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your
teenagers’ friends.
2. Never comment on their posts.
3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.
Use social media to glean information – not to
process it!
WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’
something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at
a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we
need to be aware of are the messages our students are
absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages
all the time from the world around us. Many students
find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing
happiness or completeness comes from the
acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the
subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us
as parents open dialogue and engage in communication
while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to
accomplish this:
1. Regularly connect with your teen about the
messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask
them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve
watched recently, then follow up with questions like
“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions
did that illicit in you?”
2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.
Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind
them how much you want to stay involved in their
lives. Help them understand that having access to
social media accounts and talking about media
messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love
invasion that you have launched on behalf of the
relationship.
3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie
together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or
questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our
internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.
In all areas, stay connected and ‘intheknow’ by
keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.
Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is
going in!
By Lars Rood
YOUTHCULTURE
A WORD FROM THEWORD
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless for the day of
Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that
comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and
praise of God.
Philippians 1:911 (NIV)
A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one
of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.
Their faith journey is very important to me. And I
freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the
new school year. While I want them to be established
in a good school, with sports and other activities, I
want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.
It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point
in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even
myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority
over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the
reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk
simply because they lost opportunity for regular
connection with their church, Christian friends and
youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.
Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and
discern what might be a good fit for your students. I
help my own kids try to figure out what most
connects them with their faith at church. We look at
everything from youth group to children’s choir,
volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions
and then we decide which things will best help their
faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and
then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.
The new reality for many students simply does not
allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or
attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your
teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and
make sure to prioritize those things over everything
else. Coach them to faith success just like you do
educational achievement. It’s the most important
coaching you’ll do all year!
By Lars Rood
MODEL IT
Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms
and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a
neverending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the
game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.
How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before
meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t
get the faiththing exactly right?
Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday
worship service.
IN THEIR WORLD
VANCHURCH STUDENT
MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL
Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.
Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.
Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.
Gas Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.
Tires Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.
Oil Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.
THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed
surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it
helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).
Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,
the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about
the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI It began a rage of getting others into the
picture!)
Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an
underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.
Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches
everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect
photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.
Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment
– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that
don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids
to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost selfworth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.
Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that
perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all photobomb their next selfie!
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
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28 29 30 1 2 3 4
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SEPTEMBER 2014
FaithQuest
Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Youth Dinner & Devo
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fireside Room
Dear Mom & Dad:
We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This
monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in
communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and
information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.
School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And
everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will
be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities
than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,
what’s better, and what’s best!
Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this
calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the
opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We
love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.
So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us
the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to
make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up
and motivation starts winding down:
Hebrews 12:12 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!
Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team