plugged-in parent newsletter (september 2014)

8/11/2019 Plugged-In Parent Newsletter (September 2014)

1/8

A publication of IBC Student Ministry.

www.ibcl rstudents.org 2014

LOOK AROUNDSCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION! YOU KNOW ALL TOO WELL THAT THENUMBER ONE MISSION FIELD FOR YOUR STUDENT IS THEIR SCHOOL.DID YOU ALSO KNOW THAT YOUR STUDENTS SCHOOL CAN ALSO BEYOUR NUMBER ONE MISSION FIELD AS WELL? THINK ABOUT ALL THE

TIME YOU SPEND AT OR AROUND SCHOOL. FOOTBALL GAMES,VOLLEYBALL PRACTICES, PTA MEETINGS, ETC. NEXT TIME YOUATTEND ONE OF THESE EVENTS, LOOK AROUND. TAKE NOTICE OF THEOTHER PARENTS AROUND YOU. DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY STANDWITH JESUS? HAVE YOU ASKED?

WE CONSTANTLY TEACH OUR STUDENTS THAT THEY ARE THE MOSTEFFECTIVE TOOL TO REACHING THEIR CAMPUS FOR JESUS. THESAME IS WITH YOU, MOM AND DAD. THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL TOREACH OTHER PARENTS WITH JESUS IS YOU, NOT ANOTHERPARENTING EVENT, A STUDENT STAFF PERSON, IT IS YOU!

SeptemberIssue

THIS MONTH

"THE GATHERING (9/3)

" DGROUPS START (9/7)

" HOME 22:6 PARENT ROUNDTABLE(9/10, 9/17, 8/24)

" MENS CAR SHOW (9/13)

" MS POOL OLYMPICS (9/14)

" GIRLS MINISTRY (9/28)

COMING SOON

" FALL RETREAT (10/31-11/2)

" DISCIPLE NOW (1/16-18)

PRAYER FOR MYTEEN

DECISION MAKING

ENGAGE MORE TEAMS BECOMING

FAKE CHRISTIANS

EQUIPCREATING A MEDIA-SAFEHOME

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION TO HELP PARENTS BETTER PLUG IN TO THESPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR STUDENT

PLUGGED IN
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2/8



STUDENT MINISTRY STAFF

Matt Hubbard

ead Student Pastor

Melissa Sponer

Girls Ministry Associate

Ross Spigner

Middle School Pastor

Amanda Bea

Ministry Assistant

A publicat ion of IBC Student Mini str y. www.ibclr students.org 2014

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE

STARBUCKS BEVERAGE?

GRANDE WHITE CHOCOLATE

MOCHA

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITESTARBUCKS BEVERAGE?

VENTI, SALTED CARAMELMOCHA (EXTRA SHOT)

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVO

STARBUCKS BEVERAG

VENTI, SEVEN-PUMP VAN

LATTE

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE

STARBUCKS BEVERAGE?

GRANDE GINGERBREAD LATTE

From Our Heart

It has been a blessing working in Girls Ministry over the past 5 years. Ive had the chance to meet somany beautiful, gifted young women, with amazing gifts!

What Ive come to realize over the years is that you would never know from the outside all that thesebeautiful, gifted young women struggle with privately. From struggles with self-image to depression or thoughtsof suicide, anxiety or worry

Sadly these are real issues that teen girls face all the time. They have real struggles and real needs.From my experience in Girls Ministry, here are some needs of teen girls today:

! Someone to listen to them. To really listen and understand. A safe place for them to share how theyfeel and help them navigate how they feel.

! Someone to acknowledge the gift God has given them and give them opportunities to use them.They need to feel confident in who they are and they gifts they have.

! Someone to tell them OFTEN and regularly that they are remarkably and wonderfully made by God(Ps. 139: 13-14)

! Laughter and times to just have fun!! Someone who prays for them specifically and they know it.! Adult women who will be real, authentic role models and mentors for them.! They need and want boundaries and responsibilities. It builds security and self-worth.! A father or substitute father who will set an example of how a boy should treat a girl. ! A home where they see real, authentic faith lived out daily not a faith that is only seen on Sunday.

Its my privilege to invest my time in mentoring young girls/women. My prayer is that you would join me ininvesting in the next generation.
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3/8



PRAYER FOR MY TEENThis is an excerpt on Decision Makingin 31 Days of Prayer for My Teen by Susan Alexander Yates (Baker Boo ks).

CISION MAKING IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGES IN LIFE. ITS DOUBLY TOUGH WHEN WE HAVE A TEEN BECAUSE THAT TEENEDS TO LEARN TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS. WE MAY NOT TRUST HIS DISCERNMENT. AND WE MAY NOT KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER

THER! YET LEARNING TO MAKE DECISIONS IS CRUCIAL TO MATURITY.

FATHER, MY SON HAS AN IMPORTANT DECISION TO MAKE. HE DOESNT KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO! THERE ARE SO MANY WAYSLOOK AT THIS, SO MAN Y FACTORS TO CONSIDER, SO MA NY U NKNOWNS. NOTHING IS CLEAR. IT S OVERWHELMING.

DONT K NOW WHAT IS R IGHT EITHER. WHEN HE WAS SMALL, I KNEW HOW TO MAK E DECISIONS THAT WER E BEST FOR HIMNOW I DONT, AND IT S FRUSTR ATING. AND THIS DECISION IS RE ALLY IMPORTANT . IT COULD IMPACT THE REST OF HIS LIF

ERHAPS, FATHER, YOU HAVE HIDDEN THE RIGHT DECISION FROM ME BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW HIM. ITS TIME FORTO BE WE ANED F ROM SOME OF MY PARENTING R ESPONSIBILITIES AND BEGIN TO TRUST YOU TO WORK IN MY CHILDS LIF

WITHOUT ME. THIS IS NEW FOR ME, O LORD, AND IT S SCARY.

HANK YOU, LORD, THAT I CA N HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU AR E AT WORK IN MY SONS LIFE.* THA NK YOU THAT YOU WHIM TO KNOW YOUR WILL FAR MORE THAN E ITHER HE OR I WANT TO!* GIVE HIM THE POWER TO DISCERN WHAT IS BEST.* SP

DIRECTLY TO HIM AND SHOW HIM WHAT YOUR WILL IS I N THIS MATTER.*

FATHER, IN THIS PROCESS HELP ME TO TAK E A FR ESH STEP IN TRUSTING YOU IN NEW WAYS WITH MY CHILD. TH ANK YOU THHIS IS NOT JUST FOR HIM . IT S FOR ME TOO. GIVE ME EYES TO SEE THE SPECIFIC LESSONS YOU HAVE IN THIS FOR ME. REVE A

ME A DEEPER ASPECT OF YOUR LOVE AND YOUR SOVEREIGNTY.*

Y THE GOD OF PEACE, WHO THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE ETERNAL COVENANT BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD OUR LORD JESUSAT GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP, EQUIP YOU WITH EVERYTHING GOOD FOR DOING HIS WILL, AND MAY HE WORK IN US WHAT ISEASING TO HIM, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, TO WHOM BE GLORY FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN. HEBREWS 13: 20 21

RIPTURE REFERENCES (IN ORDER OF STARRED REFERENCES IN PRAYER): PHILIPPIANS 1: 6 AND 2: 13; PHILIPPIANS 1: 9 11; PSALM AND JEREMIAH 42: 3; PROVERBS 3: 5 7

FAITHCONVER

SATION

HELPS:

THEDILEMMAOFSIN

ANDDEATH

StarterQuestion:

Howdoourpeersv

iewsin?Death?

TransitionQuestion:

Whodoyousaysinanddeathis?

BiblicalResponse:

Sin!Death(Rom.6:2

3)'Death!EternalS

eparationfromGod'

Allhavesinned(Rom

3:23'5:12)

MyStory:

Itrulygraspedt

herealnessofsin

inmylifewhen"

www vimeo

com

www twitter

com

www ins

gram com
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4/8



COMING SOON

October 4 Family Go Trip - El DoradoOctober 19 Girls Ministry Event - 12-2October 29 Funfest - No Wed Night YouthOctober 31-Nov 2 MS/HS Joint Fall Retreat at SOTO

2014 / September
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5/8


6/8

Yet there's been an "explosion" inyouth service since 1995 that Lewisattributes to more schoolsemphasizing community service.

Teens that are less religious aren'tautomatically less compassionate, shesays.

"I see an increase in youth passion tomake the world a better place," shesays. "I see young people reaching outto solve problems. They're not waitingfor adults."

What religious teens say about theirpeers

We think that theywant cake, but theyactually want steak

and potatoes, andwe keep givingthem cake.

--Elizabeth Corrie,Emory Universityprofessor

Elizabeth Corriemeets some ofthese idealisticteens everysummer. She has

taken on the book'scentral challenge:instilling religiouspassion in teens.

Corrie, who oncetaught high schoolreligion, nowdirects a programcalled YTI-- the Youth TheologicalInitiative at Emory University inGeorgia.

YTI operates like a theological bootcamp for teens. At least 36 rising highschool juniors and seniors from acrossthe country gather for three weeks ofChristian training. They worshiptogether, take pilgrimages to varyingreligious communities and participatein community projects.

Corrie says she sees no shortage ofteenagers who want to be inspired and

make the world better. But theChristianity some are taught doesn'tinspire them "to change anything that'sbroken in the world."

Teens want to be challenged; theywant their tough questions taken on,she says.

"We think that they want cake, but theyactually want steak and potatoes, andwe keep giving them cake," Corriesays.

David Wheaton, an Atlanta high schoolsenior, says many of his peers aren'texcited about Christianity becausethey don't see the payo#.

"If they can't see benefits immediately,they stay away from it," Wheaton says."They don't want to make sacrifices."

How 'radical' parents instill religiouspassion in their children

Churches, not just parents, share someof the blame for teens' religious apathyas well, says Corrie, the Emoryprofessor.

She says pastors often preach a safemessage that can bring in the largest

number of congregants. The result:more people and yawning in the pew

"If your church can't survive without acertain number of members pledgingyou might not want to preach amessage that might make peoplemad," Corrie says. "We can all agree

that we should all be good and thatGod rewards those who are nice."

Corrie, echoing the author of "AlmostChristian," says the gospel of nicenescan't teach teens how to confronttragedy.

"It can't bear the weight of deeperquestions: Why are my parents gettin

a divorce? Why didmy best friendcommit suicide?

Why, in thiseconomy, can't I gthe good job I waspromised if I was agood kid?"

What can a parentdo then?

Get "radical," Deansays.

She says parents

who perform oneact of radical faith front of their childrconvey more than multitude ofsermons andmission trips.

A parent's radicalact of faith could involve something asimple as spending a summer inBolivia working on an agriculturalrenewal project or turning down a

more lucrative job o#er to stay at astruggling church, Dean says.

But it's not enough to be radical --parents must explain "this is howChristians live," she says.

"If you don't say you're doing itbecause of your faith, kids are going say my parents are really nice peopleDean says. "It doesn't register that


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plugged-in parent newsletter (september 2014)

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