Lesson Loop 12.31.09

This past Tuesday at Third Place we watched the movie "Expelled", which was an excellent documentary done by Ben Stein. This movie highlights how in both the academic and scientific realms, those who believe in "Intelligent Design" as the theory for how our universe originated are being silenced and penalized.

It was very thought-provoking, and I encourage you as parents to check out the website and ask your children about the movie. If you click the picture, it will take you to the website.

"Expelled" doesn't come from a distinctively Christian perspective (Ben Stein is Jewish), but it does a great job at showing that Evolution is nothing more than a theory (and a very implausible one at that), and in actuality the more we learn about science the more and more the Biblical creation gains credibility. I also believe the best thing the movie does is show the hopelessness of those who adopt an atheistic/Darwinian perspective.

We are planning on following up this next Tuesday and discussing this movie from a Biblical perspective. I am looking forward to it!

CPYU One-Day Seminar

I mentioned this seminar at the parent's meeting, and so I wanted to give you that information once again. If you click on the picture, it will take you to the webpage for more info on the times, place and what to expect. I believe if you have the opportunity to go, you will be blessed.

As I mentioned before, I will be gone with the students for Planet Wisdom during this time, and so I cannot attend unfortunately. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thanks again for partnering with us!

Taking it Home

Just wanted to remind parents that there are take home papers in the student ministries shelves at church each week.
These papers coordinate with the Sunday School lesson and offer some ideas to dialogue with your children about the lesson and apply what they have learned.
Check them out!

Leaping for Joy

As I am studying Luke 1 right now, I am struck with verse 44 which talks about Elizabeth and her unborn baby John the Baptist - "For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."
I have always read this and realized how this evidences God's call on John the Baptist's life. But I don't know if I ever considered how this proves that unborn babies are distinct persons who are capable of emotions such as joy. But it does.
And this isn't the only Scripture that teaches us to protect unborn life. But it sure is a good one.

Real World Parents 12.16.09

Parent Newsletter

Contents

1. Tools for Parenting Teens


2. Learn Their Lingo


3. Links to Learn From


4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

Faith Like Mary

Our hope this week is to prod our kids to be inspired by—and to aspire after—Mary’s faith. We hold her up as a role model not because she was extraordinary (which she was) but because she was also a normal…

Read More:

http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/faith_like_mary/

Featured Resource: Boundaries with Teens

In this exciting new book, Dr. Townsend gives important keys for establishing healthy boundaries—the bedrock of good relationships, maturity, safety, and growth for teens and the adults in their lives. The book offers help in raising your teens to take responsibility for their actions, attitudes, and emotions.

http://www.realworldparents.com/store/item/boundaries_with_teens/

2. Learn Their Lingo

Elf-Esteem = The feeling of being overworked, underappreciated and like you don't exist to others during the holidays while in actuality the season's success depends on you.

Wiper Beat = When the windshield wipers on your car sync up with the music on your car radio.

3. Links to Learn From

Survey: 15 percent of teens get sexual text messages
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/15/pew.sexting.survey/

Plasticizer may be tied to boys’ breast enlargement
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BD39920091214

Boy Sent Home For Drawing Of Crucifixion
http://wbztv.com/local/taunton.cross.drawing.2.1370369.html

4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

- Burton Hillis

Real World Parents

Parent Newsletter

Contents

1. Tools for Parenting Teens


2. Learn Their Lingo


3. Links to Learn From


4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

Big Grace

One of the challenges of parenting for Christians is that we want our kids to be as excited about God’s unbelievable grace and forgiveness as we are—but we still want them to perform. We pray they’ll be absolutely convinced that…
Read More:
http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/big_grace/

Featured Resource: Boundaries with Teens

In this exciting new book, Dr. Townsend gives important keys for establishing healthy boundaries—the bedrock of good relationships, maturity, safety, and growth for teens and the adults in their lives. The book offers help in raising your teens to take responsibility for their actions, attitudes, and emotions.

http://www.realworldparents.com/store/item/boundaries_with_teens/

2. Learn Their Lingo

Brodie = A combination of the two words "brother" and "buddy"

I.M.Y = I miss you

3. Links to Learn From

Parents’ Sex Talk with Kids: Too Little, Too Late
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1945759,00.html

NATION: Obesity in some children tied to DNA, study finds
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tc-nw-briefs-1206-12070dec07,0,673593.story

Character says new tests show Go Go Pets are safe
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSGEE5B61Q720091207?type=marketsNews&utm

4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

It’s not what you leave to your children, it’s what you leave in your children

- Author Unknown

A Bible Adventure

Looking for an interesting way to get into the Word of God? Check out  www.dailyaudiobible.com

I began listening through the Word of God earlier this year, and it has been a really edifying experience. While I have always found it difficult to read through the Bible in a year, as I have been listening through it, I have found it more engaging, and I am discovering passages I haven't read in years.

I encourage you to check it out and see if it's for you - especially if you are struggling to have a consistent, fruitful time in God's Word.

You can listen on your computer or subscribe to the podcast and have it loaded on your ipod or smartphone each day.

Regardless of how you get into God's Word, get into it. It is the adventure of a lifetime.

The Scoop :]

We have a lot of great activities going on this Winter. If you are finding it challenging to keep tabs on everything, here are the many ways to find out what is going on:

1. There is a rack in the hallway with the block glass windows, at the end that is closest to the youth room. It has flyers and permission slips for all of our trips plus take-home calendar cards of upcoming events. You'll also find magazines and other great resources for parents and teens. Help yourself!

2. You can look at the calendar on the church website. Student Ministries items are in green.

3. Parents of high school students can also use the calendar on the ThirdPlace website. We're just getting into the habit of using that, but it will soon be a great one one-stop shopping place for everything going on @ ThirdPlace.

4. If your son or daughter is in a growth group, get to know their growth group leader. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have, and we'd love to talk to you about how your teen can make the most of their years at Lucid or ThirdPlace.

Real World Parents

 

 

1. Tools for Parenting Teens


2. Learn Their Lingo


3. Links to Learn From


4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

Talk About Praise

You likely experience praising God together with your family regularly at church. But how often do you talk about that experience? Why do we do it? Why does God care? What does it do for us and for Him?

Read More:

http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/talk_about_praise/

Featured Resource: Boundaries with Teens

 

In this exciting new book, Dr. Townsend gives important keys for establishing healthy boundaries—the bedrock of good relationships, maturity, safety, and growth for teens and the adults in their lives. The book offers help in raising your teens to take responsibility for their actions, attitudes, and emotions.

http://www.realworldparents.com/store/item/boundaries_with_teens/

2. Learn Their Lingo

Automagically = something that happens automatically, but that also has some mysterious, "magical" element to it. "Smart" appliances, features, etc. that do intelligent things with less help than you might expect

Mantrum = when a grown man throws a tantrum when he can't have his way

3. Links to Learn From

Fort Hood Shooting: Five tips to help parents talk to their kids about violence in the news
http://www.examiner.com/x-14708-Toddlers-to-Teens-Examiner~y2009m11d6-Fort-Hood-Shooting-Five-tips-to-help-parents-talk-to-their-kids-about-violence-in-the-news

Teenage pregnancy does not discriminate
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=861929&category=OPINION

Hunger in America: Half of Our Kids on Food Stamps
http://chattahbox.com/us/2009/11/03/hunger-in-america-half-of-our-kids-on-food-stamps/

4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Real World Parents Newsletter

1. Tools for Parenting Teens


2. Learn Their Lingo


3. Links to Learn From


4. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

The Foolish Joy of Mocking

Many students fall into the habit of mocking as a way for covering up their own insecurity. Afraid of looking stupid, some will mock others before they can become the victim. Eventually, the habit can become a lifestyle.
Read More:

http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/the_foolish_joy_of_mocking/

Featured Resource: Boundaries with Teens

In this exciting new book, Dr. Townsend gives important keys for establishing healthy boundaries—the bedrock of good relationships, maturity, safety, and growth for teens and the adults in their lives. The book offers help in raising your teens to take responsibility for their actions, attitudes, and emotions.

http://www.realworldparents.com/store/item/boundaries_with_teens/

2. Learn Their Lingo

GMAS = Acronym for give me a second.

Caraoke = Singing along with music in a car, especially loudly and passionately.

4. Links to Learn From

140 Characters of Parenting Insight [YS Blog]
http://www.youthspecialties.com/blog/2009/140-characters-of-parenting-insight-2/

Teen Sex Escalation [The Source for Youth Ministry]
http://www.thesource4ym.com/youthculturewindow/article.asp?id=96

While Adolescents May Reason As Well As Adults, Their Emotional Maturity Lags…[Science Daily]
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007153745.htm

5. A Little Encouragement...And Humor

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

- Elizabeth Stone

Inter-generational Student Ministry

A friend sent me this great article that re-examines the way we do youth ministry. Check it out :

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/communitylife/discipleship/istheeraofagesegmentationover.html

Inter-generational youth ministry

A friend sent me this great article on age-segmentation in youth ministry. Check it out -

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/communitylife/discipleship/istheeraofagesegmentationover.html

Lesson Loop 10.2.09

This past week in our Student Ministry:

THIRD PLACE: "Jesus as Human"
We started by pointing out that while Jesus was powerful and full of authority, he laid his divine prerogatives aside when He came to earth. Instead of using His authority and power, He "played by our rules" and suffered temptation just like we do.
We then focused on the infamous temptation of Christ found in Matthew 4.

This tempation had 3 parts:

• The Temptation of Desire
  Satan played on Jesus' strong desire for food, and although Jesus certainly could have turned the stones to bread, it would have been a sin because it was not His Father's will. In fact, Jesus responds to Satan that food is not His biggest need. Instead, being obedient to His Father and living on His every Word is His biggest need.


• The Temptation of Pride
  Jesus relates His situation to the children of Israel who tested God in the wilderness. Each of Jesus' quotes come from that wilderness era, and for Him to ask God to prove Himself by saving Him as He jumped off the temple would have been tantamount to the rebellious Israelites asking God to prove His existence and love by giving them food, water and protection. God doesn't exist for our benefit. Rather, we are here to worshipfully serve Him, and we must have faith that God will always provide for us. It's not about us!


• The Temptation of Power
  Jesus' incarnation was not about being our powerful ruler. No, not the first time around. Instead He came as an obedient, meek Lamb who was on a mission to give Himself for His own.
  Now, don't be mistaken - He will one day come as our victorious King, and purge this earth of sin once and for all. But until that day He sits as our King in heaven, and we try to follow His example - taking up our crosses each day and dying to self. It's not about becoming powerful and great in the world's eyes - it's about serving. In doing this we will earn rewards and reign with Christ one day in His earthly kingdom.

LUCID: "God, Your Provider"


As we drank water we read Psalm 111 and talked about how God provides for our basic human needs - which includes the physical needs of food and water, but so much more as well. Even more than physical needs, we have the need for redemption, and for God's Word. He has provided these things as well!
Then, we ate cookies (still warm out of the oven thanks to Jen!), and talked about how God lavishes on us extra blessings that He doesn't have to (and has every right to remove from our lives if He decides).

Then, we talked about 2 opposing approaches to life (Psalm 20:7, Psalm 127; Matthew 6:25-34):

1) Building our lives by our own strength and abilities

2) Recognizing that God is the one who builds anything good out of our lives

We all agreed that we often forget to remember God's provision because we become so obsessed with our own life that we neglect to remember all that God has done for us and His people through the ages. We also struggle at times to have faith in God because our needs are very tangible and God is not.
However, it only makes sense that God who is our loving Creator would also be the one who still sustains us each and every day. In fact, He is the reason we are still breathing as we read this paragraph. Colossians 1:16-17 says this - "in Him all things hold together".

We finished by getting into groups, and then writing on a brick one word that describes a blessing God has lavished on us, remembering that He is our Good Provider.
I challenged each student to always recognize that God is the One building their life, and to trust in His provision, rather than rely on their own strength like most of the world.

"Taking it home"

I wanted to let you know that the take home papers which each of the high school students receive in sunday school are now available to you as well. I am placing a stack in the youth racks (located at the end of the main hallway which goes from the Sanctuary to the youth room).

I hope to do this each week so that you as parents can begin to think of ways to apply the lesson your children learn on Sundays throughout the week. The paper is divided into 4 sections - Faith Journal, Driving Home the Point, Talking at Home, and Daily Challenge.

These papers are only given out to the high school students, but they most often will be beneficial for you to look at whether your children are in middle or high school, since they are covering the same lesson topics each Sunday.

If you get a chance, pick one up and check it out!

Thanks for partnering with us as we strive to disciple your children!

SYATP!

I wanted to take a moment and recap last week, as it was a very exciting one!

Instead of our usual youth group nights, we all met down at the Ice House for the SYATP rally. It was so neat to see many students from the Lehigh Valley gathered together for a time of worship, teaching, and car bashing. (One of these things seems out of place... :) But seriously, it was an awesome time!)

We praise God for how He is uniting us with other like-minded youth groups so that we may work together to build His kingdom for His glory.

Then, on the following morning we had students at various schools praying around their flagpoles. I had the opportunity to participate at Freedom and East Hills, and it was a blessing to see students step out on faith and God-given courage to be an example to their peers. I believe God was honored, and I know I was encouraged!

[gallery]

Lesson Loop 9.21.09

This past week in our Student Ministry:

THIRD PLACE: "Jesus as God"
We began our study of the Life of Christ, and week one was examining Jesus' nature: 1oo percent God, 100 percent man.
We talked about how there a lot of things about God that we can't wrap our minds around, and near the top of the list is how Jesus can be 100 percent God and 100 percent man. But He is.
We covered C.S. Lewis' "Tri-lemma" (Lord, Liar, Lunatic), and also went over some of the major heresies through the ages concerning who Jesus is.
Another important thing we covered is that God is not surprised by our doubts and questions, and instead He desires that we cry out to Him with our disbelief, so that He by His grace can strengthen our faith.
We ended by writing down some of the things we believe about Jesus, as well as some of the questions we have for Jesus, and then sealed them up. I have them in my office and will give them back after our series in the Life of Christ is complete.

LUCID: "God's Masterpieces"


First thing we did was look at famous works of art and come to the conclusion that these masterpieces had significant value because of the artist - who designed them. Likewise, we discussed that we all have tremendous value not because of anything intrinsic in us, but because of who our Creator is.
One of the biggest problems we have as humans is how self-centered we are. We often have such a distorted view of ourselves - either we think of ourselves too highly, or too lowly, and both lead us to sin.
Instead of looking at ourselves, we need to focus more on our God, and so we spent some time in Psalm 95 considering how God is our:

1) MAKER/CREATOR

2) KING

3) SAVIOR

4) SHEPHERD

In the end, we are God's sheep, which is both humbling and precious all at the same time.

Lesson Loop 9.18.09

This past week in our Student Ministry:

THIRD PLACE: "Jesus as God"
We began our study of the Life of Christ, and week one was examining Jesus' nature: 1oo percent God, 100 percent man.
We talked about how there a lot of things about God that we can't wrap our minds around, and near the top of the list is how Jesus can be 100 percent God and 100 percent man. But He is.
We covered C.S. Lewis' "Tri-lemma" (Lord, Liar, Lunatic), and also went over some of the major heresies through the ages concerning who Jesus is.
Another important thing we covered is that God is not surprised by our doubts and questions, and instead He desires that we cry out to Him with our disbelief, so that He by His grace can strengthen our faith.
We ended by writing down some of the things we believe about Jesus, as well as some of the questions we have for Jesus, and then sealed them up. I have them in my office and will give them back after our series in the Life of Christ is complete.

LUCID: "God's Masterpieces"


First thing we did was look at famous works of art and come to the conclusion that these masterpieces had significant value because of the artist - who designed them. Likewise, we discussed that we all have tremendous value not because of anything intrinsic in us, but because of who our Creator is.
One of the biggest problems we have as humans is how self-centered we are. We often have such a distorted view of ourselves - either we think of ourselves too highly, or too lowly, and both lead us to sin.
Instead of looking at ourselves, we need to focus more on our God, and so we spent some time in Psalm 95 considering how God is our:

1) MAKER/CREATOR

2) KING

3) SAVIOR

4) SHEPHERD

In the end, we are God's sheep, which is both humbling and precious all at the same time.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Hey, just wanted to mention that our extended summer hours are coming to an end. Next Tuesday, the 25th, will be the last night for 6:00-to-9:00. We'll also be having dinner for one last time! Please have your students arrive hungry. :]

Starting September 1st, we're back to 7:00-to-8:45.

It's also time to start up growth groups for the year. September 8th will be the first growth group night. Remember that there is no ThirdPlace on the 2nd Tuesday of each month; those are growth group nights. Time and location may vary according to the group's preference.

Lesson Loop 8.14.09

This week in our Student Ministry:

High School Beach Day
We had a great time fellowship together at the beach, and God gave us beautiful weather!
Afterward we headed over to the Beebe's relatives house and enjoyed a picnic. Good times!

LUCID: "Creation"


We began a new series called God's Story, Our Story.
This begins with the account of Creation, and so we focused on Genesis 1 and on how we are made in the image of God. We considered how we are called to live in holiness and portray God's image to the world, and we also focused on how God formed us out of the dust of the ground - we were nothing until God breathed life into us.

Lesson Loop 7.24.09

This week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: "Joseph and Sex"
Genesis 39

We looked at the infamous story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, and we considered 4 things (from Gen. 39) to remember when sexual temptation hits you:

*Remember that you are accountable to God and others (vs. 8-9)

*Remember that temptation and avoid it in the future if possible (vs. 10)

*Remember to run! (vs. 11-12)

*Remember that lust is not love (vs. 13-18)

We also spent some time in the book of Proverbs (Prov. 5:1-9; Prov. 6:23-26; Prov. 7:14-18) looking at the deceitfulness of sexual temptation - it sure looks good, but in the end it is death.

Good Biblical truths we must all remember!

LUCID: Middle School Beach Day


We had a great time at the beach, and we thank God that He have us beautiful weather!

After a nice day of sunbathing, bodysurfing, seagull chasing, bodyburying (in the sand; but don't worry - everyone who was buried came back out...) we headed over to The Beebe's relatives house in Ocean Grove where we had a cookout and enjoyed some more fellowship together.

All in all a very nice day!

Lesson Loop 7.17.09

This week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: "Wrestling with God"
Genesis 32

Ronnie Ani taught the students from Genesis 32 about how Jacob wrestles the angel.

LUCID: "Guided by the Holy Spirit"


We dove into Galatians 5:16-25, and saw how we are called to keep in step with the Spirit. This means that we spend time with God, and learn how to match His rythms, rather than go out on our own and try to live this life. Spending time with God will enable us to "live by the Spirit" rather than by the flesh.

We talked about how we are a new creation if we have placed our faith solely in Christ, and we have  a new nature. Yet some how, mysteriously, we are still susceptible to the temptation of sin. Yes, we have died to sin, but we still live in these fleshly bodies and we are weak. Because of this we must daily abide in Christ and allow Him to renew our mind. Without this ongoing renewal we will begin to think worldly and follow our fleshly desires.

The most significant thing we emphasized was that there is a direct contrast between the "works of the flesh" and the "fruit of the Spirit". Works are something we accomplish (work for), while fruit is something that God produces in us. We cannot become more like Jesus simply by wishing it any more than a tree can produce fruit by wishing really hard. A tree is completely dependent on God to send rain, sunshine, good soil filled with nutrients, etc... Likewise, we are dependent on God to make us more like Jesus, and this means keeping in step with the Spirit.

To conclude each student signed their initials on a pair of sneakers I have, so that they can be reminded to "keep in step with the Spirit"  Of course, Todd made me promise to wear them to Beach Day, so I will be sporting them on Wednesday!

"Inside Out" Missions Week

The purpose of our Missions Week is to serve our church body as well as our community, and so we will have an "inside-out" focus for this week. On Monday through Thursday half the day will be spent serving around Ebenezer with various projects that need to be done, and the other half of the day will be ministering in various locations in our community. We have plans to serve at New Bethany Ministries, Fellowship Community, Victory Valley, as well as a project to help a neighbor in need. In addition we will be holding a "Wash for Life" car wash to raise funds for the Bethlehem Carenet ministry. Friday will be a celebration day and we will be going to Dorney Park and concluding with a picnic.

Please remember that the Missions Week is a requirement for those who would like to participate in the High School Missions Trip next summer! (the exception would be a teen who has already served on a missions trip in the past).

A rough itinerary for Missions Week is as follows:

Monday (Aug. 3)

8am ) Meet at church for devotions

9am - 5pm ) Ebenezer work project & community work project

6pm ) Done and ready to be picked up at church

Tuesday (Aug. 4)

8am ) Meet at church for devotions

9am - 5pm ) Ebenezer work project & community work project

6pm ) Done and ready to be picked up at church

Wednesday (Aug. 5)

8am ) Meet at church for devotions

9am - 5pm ) Ebenezer work project & community work project

6pm ) Done and ready to be picked up at church

Thursday (Aug. 6)

8am ) Meet at church for devotions

9am - 3pm ) "Wash for Life"

5pm ) Done and ready to be picked up at church

Friday (Aug. 7)

9am ) Meet at church and head to Dorney Park

*Picnic after Dorney Park at Erin Stephen's house

9pm ) Back at church

The cost for Missions Week for each student will be $50, and this will include Dorney Park admission and the Picnic on Friday. As with any activity (but especially with missions week) please do not allow finances to be something that prevents a student from coming. We have scholarship money set aside, and we want to make sure every student who desires to be a part of this week can participate. See Heather Hunsberger or myself if you would need assistance with this.

Students should pack a sack lunch Monday - Friday, and they should eat breakfast before they arrive at church each morning.

The sign up deadline for Missions Week is Wednesday, July 8th. Please see Heather or myself if you want to participate and have not yet signed up.

There is going to be a meeting for all those participating in Missions Week on Sunday July 19th after the 3rd service. This meeting will go from 1pm - 2:30pm, and parents are invited to attend as well.  Pizza will be provided for lunch that day.

Please email or call me if you have any further questions about this wonderful service opportunity!

A nametag, a nametag, my kingdom for a nametag!

Erin mentioned in her last post how this is a bittersweet time of year for the Lucid staff, and it is for the ThirdPlace staff as well. Two weeks ago, we welcomed the incoming freshman during our version of Red Carpet Night, while last week we celebrated the seniors who will be leaving us at the end of the summer. Both are important important rites of passage, and both are a bittersweet challenge to approach year after year.

In addition to the emotional impact, we have a logistical one as well. Suddenly we now have 2 dozen new names and faces to learn! If your teen is new to ThirdPlace (or Lucid), please be patient with us as we get to know everyone over the summer.

Along those lines, we are happy to announce that extended summer hours begin this week and continue through the end of August. For those that don't know, the concept (and name) of ThirdPlace was born around this time last year. The high school staff, knowing that a leadership gap was imminent, started exploring possibilites for the summer. We had fond memories of a tradition started years ago by Mike Forrest called 'Tuesday Night Sabbath'. Taking advantage of the longer hours available during the summer, Tuesday Night Sabbath would go from 4 to 9 and include dinner, extended hangout time, a message, and weekly communion. The focus was on recapturing what it really means to take a sabbath rest from our hectic lives, and students and staff have for years have enjoyed this wonderful way to fellowship together.

ThirdPlace has a similar mission. The term "third place" has been around for about 3 decades now:

The third place is a term used in the concept of community building to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. In his influential book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg (1989, 1991) argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place.

Oldenburg calls one's "first place" the home and those that one lives with. The "second place" is the workplace — where people may actually spend most of their time. Third places, then, are "anchors" of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. All societies already have informal meeting places; what is new in modern times is the intentionality of seeking them out as vital to current societal needs. Oldenburg suggests these hallmarks of a true "third place": free or inexpensive; food and drink, while not essential, are important; highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance); involve regulars – those who habitually congregate there; welcoming and comfortable; both new friends and old should be found there.

Thanks, Wikipedia!

We want high school youth to feel like family. We want it to be something to look forward to. We want it to feel like home. To feel like somewhere that people will love you for who you are. Somewhere that it is safe to be yourself.

During these next few months, we will have extended hours from 6 to 9. In addition to our usual message and worship time, we'll have lots of extra time to hang out in big groups and small groups, in structured and spontaneous activities, and in one-on-one time with each other.

We will also be having dinner 4 times this summer! Please mark these dates on your calendar so you know which nights to send your teens to church hungry: 6/23, 7/14, 8/4, and 8/25. If you are interested in helping to prepare/serve a meal, please let us know. If you and your family would like to join us for dinner, please feel free!

We look forward to getting to know all of the new teens and parents - and to building deeper relationships with the ones we already know and love. Hope to see you around this summer!

Salty and Sweet

I find Red Carpet Night a bittersweet time. We've gotten to know our 8th graders, in some cases for 3 years and we've spent the past year with the same core group of kids. We've settled into a routine of sorts (although you can never call youth ministry routine!). And now it's time to let them go. I know as middle school youth staff, it's not like I'll never see our departing 8th graders again, and I trust them with the high school staff. But it's still sad that things will be different. I can assume the high school staff feels the same way, but added to their situation is the fact that the seniors are going off to college. And for high school staff and parents of graduating seniors, that could be more than a little scary.

But mixed with the sadness is joy. Joy at having been able to see these kids grow over this year and the previous years. To see their faith grow, sometimes through blessings, sometimes through hard-but-good situations. Seeing them learn in an ever-more personal way what it means to be a part of the Church, by interacting with their smaller-scale Body of the youth group. We also get to welcome a new class into the group. And the cool thing is that it's an ever-growing family. It's not like we only care about our middle school or high school age group and once you're out of that range, we don't care. Your kids have been a very real part of our lives for some period of time, and no matter how old they are, we can't wait to hear what God does in their lives.

Last night, Megan and I brought our growth groups together for our final night. At the end, we had the 8th graders sit on the floor in the center while the younger girls gathered round and we prayed for them. It was really neat that one of the moms (Thanks, Jill!) and an older sister joined us. We were "saying goodbye" but with a lot of joy. Salty and sweet. So as we enter this transition time, please let any of us know if there are ways we can pray for you as parents as you go through this time of change in a more head-on way than us as staff!

Is Texting Taking a Toll on Our Kids?

I read an interesting article from Fuller Youth Institute today about texting, and the toll it is taking on our teens.

Click the logo to the left, read the article and then comment on how you feel texting affects our teens. What kind of positive affects has it had on your family? Likewise, how do you feel it hurts your teenager or your family in general. I am interested to hear opinions on this one!

The First Year Out

There is an event coming up at the end of this month in Newtown, PA, and it is designed for parents of teenagers. Dr. Tim Clydesdale will be sharing about releasing children to their life purpose.  Click the picture to find out more info about this session  and while on the church's website you can find directions as well. It is a bit far and we will not be going as a youth ministry but if any parents are interested it would probably be a worthwile session.

Lesson Loop 5.8.09

This week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: "The Call of Abraham"
Genesis 12, 15, 17

2 Things about Abraham’s Faith

1. ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS REAL

• 12) leaves everything to wander with family


• 15) believes he and his wife will have a child (even though their bodies are “as good as dead”)


• 17) commanded to circumcise – just does it.

1. ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS FLAWED
   
   
   
   • 12) deceives Pharaoh and puts family in harm’s way
   
   
   • 15) believes but then asks for evidence (God performs ritual)
   
   
   • 17) laughs at God’s claims
   
   
   
   

LUCID: Service Series Ice Cream Party


This was the day of reckoning for the Lucid Service Series - and the winner was......

The girls!!!!!!

So the guys served the girls some ice cream and then partook themselves.

I then challenged the students  for a few minutes from Luke 22, where we considered the kind of service Christ calls us to:
"the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves."

Christ says in Luke 22 that we were the ones at the banqueting table, and He served us. Wow!

Lesson Loop 5.1.09

This week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: "From Babel to Blessing"


Why did they build the tower of babel?

1) To Make  a Name for Themselves (pride)

2) Avoid Being Scattered Throughout the Earth (disobedience to God's command)

Why did God scatter mankind and create diversity

1) To Accomplish His Will (that mankind resisted) (Gen. 1:28, 9:1-3, 11:8, 12:1-3)

2) There Needed to be Various Nations for God to Call Out a Unique People (Gen. 12:1-3)

3) This In Turn Allows God's People to Bless All the Nations (Mt. 28:19; Acts 2:1-6; Eph. 2:1-6; Rev. 7:9-10)

Some final thoughts:

1) You Can't Run from God's Plan (embrace His will)

2) Diversity is Part of God's Plan (love and serve all mankind)


LUCID: "Jesus' Resurrection"  I Cor. 15


We started by discussing how outrageous our claims of Jesus' resurrection are to the world who does not take the Bible seriously.

We looked at a few proofs of the resurrection:

• Empty Tomb

It's tough to explain away this. People have tried, but there has been no satisfying explanation for why that tomb was empty

• Over 500 reliable witnesses

This would be plenty of proof in any court of law today! Over 500 people saw, touched, and experienced the Risen Christ. We know that the apostles are reliable witnesses because they all were martyred for their faith. Would men who were hiding a cover-up really allow themselves to be tortured for a lie?

• Lack of evidence that disproves resurrection

If the Roman officials and Jewish Religious leaders were so passionate about squelching this talk of the "resurrection" (Acts 4), why did they not take the time to find Christ's body and end these "rumors".

We closed by talking about how Christ's resurrection "perfects" salvation.

*If Christ did not rise from the dead…

1) Our message and faith is useless (vs. 14)

2)  We are liars (vs. 15)

3) We are still condemned in our sins (vs. 17)

4) Death is the end. (vs. 18)

5) We are the most pitiful people alive. (vs. 19)

But, thank God He is Alive!! (vs. 20)

Out of Jesus Death Springs Eternal Life!

A Host Of Possibilities

I recently finished "The Host", the latest offering from Stephenie Meyer, author of the uber-popular Twilight series. I'm not feeling inspired to write a review at the moment, but if anyone would like to discuss it, drop me a line. It's a totally different animal than her other novels, but it asks some interesting questions about what it truly means to be human: passionate, flawed, and capable of unparalleled depths of feeling as a result of those vulnerabilites.

Lesson Loop 4.24.09

This week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: "Ending the Silence: speaking the truth in love"


We took a break from our Genesis study and responded to the "Day of Silence" that just happened in our public schools. We specifically considered how we as Christians should respond to this issue of homosexuality, and how Christ would want us to treat those who struggle with this sin.

1) God Created the Template (Genesis 2:23-25)
The template was designed using a simple equation: 1 man + 1 woman = 1 flesh.

2) God Gave a Clear Command (Lev. 18:22)
Since mankind ignored the template which led to rampant sin in Sodom and Gomorrah and elsewhere, God made it crystal clear.

3) God Reinforced His Command (Rom. 1:18-32)
This is not just an Old Testament principle. No, it is God's will for every generation in every culture.

4) Just in Case We Still Didn't Get It (I Cor. 6:9-10)

*God wants us to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE -If we only speak truth without love, our witness will not be effective. If we only love but do not speak the truth, We are not being faithful with the calling God has given us.


* This requires us to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves"

LUCID: "Jesus' Suffering and Death"

• JESUS’ SUFFERING — John 19:1-16

Because Jesus suffered, we see His full humanity. Plus, we can run to Him and He will comfort us as a Sympathetic High Priest.

• JESUS’ DEATH – John 19:17-37

Jesus suffered death similar to the way we experience death, and yet His was much different in that He willingly laid down His life. No man took it.

• JESUS’ BURIAL – John 19:38-42

Jesus was buried in the ground, showing He truly was dead, and with Him our sins were buried if we trust in Him!

Lesson Loop

This is what happened during our midweek student gatherings:

Third Place: Growth Groups


This week was a week for HS growth groups, so all the teens met with their respective leader!

LUCID: "More Than Mr. Nice Guy"


We talked about how people tag Jesus with all kind of titles (moral teacher, great guy, sacrificial leader, etc..) but unfortunately most people's opinions of Christ are innacurate.

What did Jesus say about Himself? He called Himself :

The Gate of Salvation, The Great Shepherd who lays down His life and takes it up again, The Son of God, The One who gives eternal life, etc...
Jesus never claimed to be just a good man. He claimed to be God.

The Pharisees figured this out, and that is why they tried to kill Him.

We were challenged to share the authentic Jesus with people and dispel the false opinions of Him.

Interesting Cultural Tidbit

According to Walt Mueller's book "Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture", research has shown that there has been a cultural shift over the last 40+ years.

Here are the top 4 institutions that have most influenced the values and behaviors of teenagers in:

1960

1) Family

2) School

3) Friends/Peers

4) Church

1980

1) Friends/Peers

2) Family

3) Media

4) School

2000

1) Media

2) Friends/Peers

3) Family

4) School

Lesson Loop

This is what happened during our midweek student gatherings:

Third Place: Genesis 6-9 ("Noah and the Bow")

We studied the Flood account, and considered one question - Is God Just or Cruel?

The Scriptures teach that God is just, and the Flood account reinforces this:

1) God's Reaction was grief, not anger
It broke our God's heart that His creation rebelled. It pained Him to destroy that which He had formed. But He had to.

2) God's Provision was the Covenant
There is always a remnant, and in this case it was Noah and his family. He continued His plan of redemption through them

3) 2 Peter also teaches us that:

*God created all things with His Words
*God recreated all things through the Flood
*God will one day recreate the earth with His words at the end of time.
*God is still patient and He loves us (He is not willing that any should perish)

Basically, God is the Potter and we are the clay. He can do whatever He wants - yet that doesn't make Him arrogant or manipulative - no, not when we consider His great Sacrifice when He gave up His only Son for our sins. We deserve hell, and yet we have been given so much through Christ!

LUCID: Growth Groups


This week was a week for MS growth groups, so all the teens met with their respective leader!

Food For The Hungry

Food For The Hungry - my mom has always thought that was a funny name for a ministry. True, it doesn't stir up quite the same emotional response as "World Vision" or "Compassion" or "Samaritan's Purse", but it does get the job done, doesn't it? It tells you, right in the name, what the ministry is all about: providing food for the hungry. Simple, huh?

Tomorrow night, we will be featuring Food For The Hungry at ThirdPlace. I love their ministry philosophy, and I have friends who work there, so when we decided to do a follow-up night after the 30 Hour Famine, I suggested that we give our students an opportunity to learn about FH (as they like to abbreviate themselves).

Please take a minute to learn more about FH by visiting their website, and please consider being our guest tomorrow night as we talk about what your teen and your family can do to change the life of a child in another country. Vicki Severn will be showing us pictures from her visit to Africa with FH, and you can "meet" my FH children, Jorge, Jamile, Marianella, and Edith, as well as seeing pictures and letters from other children that our students and staff support through FH, Compassion, World Vision, African Children's Choir, and other great ministries.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Lesson Loop

Here is a brief summary of the teaching this past week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: Genesis 2:4-7, 15-25 ("Created for Relationship")

We continued our Genesis study and saw how God has wired us for relationship:

1) We are incomplete by ourselves
*God said about everything He created "It is very good". Yet when it came to man being alone without companionship, God said "it is not good".

2) God's design is 1 man + 1 woman = 1 flesh
*The best illustration of how we are wired for relationship is marriage

3) God also designs singleness
*God ordains singleness for every person...at least for a time period. We must glorify God during that time by using the gifts He has given us with the extra time we have as a single individual.

4) God designed sex

*Sex is a beautiful thing as designed by God, but man has severely warped it.





LUCID: Core Truth - "God's Mercy" (Romans 9)


By God's mercy, He has called some to be in His family:

1) You Don't get "in" by being born in.

*Just as the Jews were not "Abraham's children" just because they were Jewish, so we are not "God's children" just because we are born into a Christian family2) You get "in" by God's mercy

*God chose us to be His children  because of His precious mercy, not because we are cool or desirable. We must praise Him for this mercy!

3) We seek to bring others "in"

*We cannot be content to be in God's family alone. We must strive to bring others in just like Paul did.

Lesson Loop

Once again, I want to let all you parents know what we are studying in our student ministry during the week, so here is a brief summary of this past week:

Third Place: Genesis 1:26-31 (Image of God)

We continued our Genesis study and focused on how every human being is created in the image of God.  We discovered that bearing the image of God means:

1) We are set apart from the animal kingdom (we rule creation)
*While we care for all life, harming human beings is sin because we are harming an image-bearer (no matter how young or small)

*Our self-worth is found in the fact that we are made in the image of God.

2) We are all precious in God's sight
*We are on equal plane with all other humans - we are no better or worse regardless of race, economic status, popularity, etc...

3) We are to care for creation
*We are commanded by God to be good stewards of His creation

4) We bear God's image imperfectly, but we strive for perfection

*We are called to be like Christ (who is the perfect image of God)




LUCID: “Core Truth - The Triune God”

We began a brand new study on the Trinity and we considered:

The Personality of Each Member of the Trinity - each works together in perfect harmony

The Oneness of God - even though each one has different personalities, they are One in Essence

The Story of Cecil...

I want to tell the story of the experience I had while on our community service project during the 30 hour famine. 

First, as soon as Reilly, who lead worship for the group on Friday night, had us all pray, I felt that God was going to do something great on Saturday.  You see, four students and I were going to downtown Allentown to distribute food.  John from Reilly asked us, while we prayed, to give our fears of talking and sharing with strangers over to Him so that He could fully use us everyday.  I prayed about my fear of going to Allentown and the kinds of people we might meet. 

While I still had anxiety about going on Saturday morning, I felt a peace that I had not felt the night before.  Once we met up with our contact and got into the church, we were lead to where we'd be working.  We passed some of the people who we'd be giving food to in a short time.  There were also other folks helping with signing people in to get their food and such.  One of these men was a man named Cecil. 

The first interaction I had with Cecil was simple; a simple "good morning" from my end and a nod on his end.  Cecil was somewhat intimidating...a large (not fat, just a big frame) black man with a mustache, a shaved head, multiple scars scattered throughout it. 

Once we had been told of our assignments once the distribution began, Cecil came out and introduced himself (this is obviously when I learned his name).  He quizzed each of the four guys with me with math questions and after that we had a chance to chat for a few moments before the work began.  Cecil's father and brother are both pastors.  His brother is opening his third...THIRD... church in Philadelphia on March 1st.  He also told me of his own ministry, one where he meets with pastors from the local area and prepares them to work with places like Allentown Rescue Mission and other different church ministries.  Most importantly, to a man he knew for 15 minutes, he let me know how on fire for Jesus Christ he is.  His passion helped me better relate to the people we were giving food to and showed me a great example of what Reilly was talking about the night before...but there's so much more than that, because God wasn't done.

I had been sweeping the outside steps and was coming in for the dust pan, which I asked one of the students, who had previously used it, to get it for me so I could finish my work outside.  When it was given to me, Cecil joked about how great delegation was...he needed it as a tool while he was serving in the military as well as years in a local prison as a corrections officer. 

But even all of that was pretty far along in the process of where God has brought Him - and taken him away from.  Cecil told me he has three daughters and six grandchildren.  This surprised me because I wouldn't have pegged Cecil as a man older than his late 30's or early '40's...it turns out that I had it pegged about right because his oldest daughter is 26...but you say, how did you peg it right?  Well, when he told me their ages, he immediately followed by telling me that he had become a father at 13. 

It's always a little shocking to hear something like that, especially since many of the students we work with in Lucid are that same age.  I am not sure, however, that I have ever met anyone who adores his children more than this man. 

Cecil told me that God used his younger days of girls and drugs (and i'd presume violence by the numerous scars on his head) in order to bring him to where he is now.  He is a long way form those days now and is now spending his time using his gifts to glorify the God he loves so dear.  I praise God for that. 

Cecil is a man who I may never see again here on earth, but one who I will never forget.  It's amazing how 15 or 20 minutes of conversation can be such an answer to prayer; an illustration of a man who opened up from almost the second he met me, wanted to encourage me and the boys who were with me, but took the time to make it crystal clear the reason for his joy from the first word he uttered. 

So one of the things I took home with me today from the Famine was, in some ways, a new hero...an inspiration of what shining and sharing our light really means and looks like...

In the Lesson Loop

I wanted to keep you parents in the "lesson loop" - Here is what we talked about this week in our Student Ministry:

Third Place: Genesis 1 (Creation)

We began a 12 week study on the book of Genesis, and this week we focused on creation. Specifically, we took note of the 3 phrases that are used consistently throughout the creation account -

1) "And God said"
Our God is so majestic and powerful that His very breath produced all that we see around us. Man cannot "create" anything from scratch. Truthfully, any creativity we have is only because we are made in God's image.

2) "God saw that it was good"
Our world was created perfectly by God. Even though we see so much corruption and sin around us, none of this can be blamed on God. Instead, it is the result of man's sin.

3) "And the evening and the morning were the ___ day"
The natural meaning of the passage seems to indicate that God created our earth in 6 literal days. While there are many good Christians who disagree about this, we do know that God is certainly powerful enough to make it happen.

LUCID: "The Result of a Changed Life"

We finished a 3 week series on Romans 12 and how we can have a changed life.

Week 1) Any change that happens in our life for God's glory only comes because of His love and mercy

Week 2) A changed life begins when we offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice

Week 3) The result of a changed life is serving Jesus

We are called to serve Jesus Humbly, Creatively, and Lovingly!!

$500.11

that was the final number counted in Lucid's penny wars to buy a cow for a family in South America...that, parents and friends, is unbelievable!!!

Virtual Community

It’s a fact of modern life that our communication is getting more technology dependent by the day. First we replaced mail with email. Then the telephone was eclipsed by the cell phone. Wireless broadband has become as everyday as…what was that old thing called?...oh, right…dial-up. Talking is being replaced by texting. And the next big thing appears to be virtual communities, as Facebook is finally succeeding at what MySpace, Xanga, and others tried to do. Now not only do we have an electronic way to communicate with each other, we have a built-in mechanism for sharing and catching up on what our friends are doing without even needing to know what questions to ask.

It’s also a fact of life that in winter, weather can interfere with the best laid plans. ThirdPlace was cancelled last week because of the slippery roads, and today was looking pretty iffy for a while too. Many students were sad to miss last week, and a lot of us feel like we haven’t seen each other in a very long time. The great thing, however, is that we have still communicated with each other on a nearly daily basis. I can’t even count the number of phone calls, text messages, chats, wall posts, and other interactions I’ve had with students in the past week.

Don’t get me wrong; face to face communication is best. I did also send ten old-fashioned letters this week via the postal service because nothing says “I’m thinking of you” like a physical piece of mail. But in general I see modern technology as a blessing, not a curse. As a 21st century youth leader, I would be lost without it.

I know it has its risks like everything else and boundaries need to be set. But thank you as parents for allowing your teens to have access to a variety of communication media. It makes a huge difference to all of us on staff as we try to stay involved in our students’ lives.

Now has anyone seen a Buy N Large employee around here? I need to find my way to the Lido deck… ;)

It's too quiet!!!

Man, it's been way too quiet here at synergy!!!  I hope everyone is well!!!  I, for one, missed having Lucid this week because of the winter weather and despite popular belief, it wasn't just because our latest round of cow trivia had to be postponed...Lucid truly is one of my favorite parts of every week.  I love the things God is doing in our ministry and seeing the kids grow...

Just so all of you know, Mark has agreed to extend the penny war, our change-raising effort to buy a cow another week to February 11th (that is a Growth Group week)...so that gives you and/or your kids even more time to save up those pennies or other lovely coinage to donate to the cause. 

It is going to be a blast counting all this change to see how much was raised and I have NO doubt that goal will be reached, if not exceeded...

Of course, as I am sure most of you already know, there are other great opportunities for your child(ren) to get involved in the coming weeks...the 30 hour famine is coming!!!  I've already talked to some of the kids about this event and though it is new to pretty much all of them, there seems to be a lot of excitement buzzing around the 30 hour famine, which I think is awesome!!!   I am not totally sure what to expect either, but one thing I know is that it will be a wonderful learning experience while helping people AND hopefully spending time with many of you on Saturday afternoon at our meal :-)

Planet Wisdom is the following weekend from the famine and the funds are due on Sunday...let this be a last minute encouragement - SEND YOUR CHILD TO THIS EVENT!!!  Now, because of work conflicts and previous plans, I can't go this year; as a matter of fact, I've only had the pleasure of going to Planet Wisdom once, BUT it was one of my favorite events...they jam pack the event with great music, humor and some serious teaching of God's Word and it goes fast, but your child will certainly be blessed by what they experience there!!! 

Enjoy the weekend, everybody!!!  GO CARDINALS!!!!

Middle School Ministry - Minor Leagues?

Those of you who know me well have come to realize that I am a huge baseball fan.  On top of that, I can take almost any situation in life and turn it into a baseball analogy.  Youth Ministry is no different.  Actually, I'm not sure I made it an analogy as much as the enemy was trying to use a great passion of mine to discourage me in another. 

It wasn't too long ago that I was feeling discouraged with numerous things in life, generally feeling that I wasn't doing enough and/or wasn't good enough at the things I was doing.  The way the enemy did this in the case of my work in youth ministry was to try to tell me that working in middle school ministry was the equivalent of the minor leagues in baseball; that it wasn't as important as high school, that middle schoolers can't get what it means to truly follow Christ, and that middle schoolers can't do anything great for Christ.  What's more was that the enemy tried to convince me that any work I was doing in middle school ministry wasn't good enough because I wasn't good enough; a common message he tries to send to followers of Christ. 

But as he always does, the enemy was simply twisting the truth.  As I've been thinking through my work, qualifications and desire in youth ministry, I've thought about what youth ministry really is; specifically what middle school should look like.  What I've come up with is that in the true sense, the enemy is right about one thing.  Middle School Ministry IS like minor league baseball, but not for the reasons he was trying to drill into my head. 

The enemy is also correct that I'm not good enough to work in youth ministry...on my own.  I don't have anything in and of myself that could do a lick to help these students come closer to Jesus Christ.  What I do have are the multitudes of blessings I've been given through the 27 years of my life and the assurance that I am a true follower of Him.  Any and every good or great thing that I have ever accomplished in youth ministry is to the praise and glory of God, because I know it's only through Him I can do anything and it's because He wants me doing this that I do this. 

Back to the main point, though...Middle School Ministry is, in some ways, the minor leagues of youth ministry.  That sounds degrading, but hear me out.  What is the main purpose of minor league baseball?  Well, for the most part, the purpose of minor league baseball is to develop young players and help them mature so that they can become quality major league ballplayers.  Ok, what is the main purpose of Middle School Ministry?  The purpose of Middle School Ministry is to develop young students and help them mature in their knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ so they can go out and show the world who He is. 

For the players, as well as the students, it starts with what kind of coaching they receive.  Players need to rely on coaching to tell them how to play the game the right way; what that means and what that looks like.  It is then the player's responsibility to execute what they've learned to get the desired results.  In the same way, students rely on us as a staff to coach them, guide them, advise them on what following Jesus Christ looks like. 

The important thing about coaching is that if you're going to coach something, it's best for the coach to know a lot about what they're coaching.  If I'm a baseball coach, I need to be able to tell a player what to do when there's a guy on second and third with one out.  I need to be able to tell a pitcher what to throw when the count is 1-2 to a power hitter with a runner on second base.  It would be awkward for a person like me to coach gymnastics...picture that for a moment...actually, it might be better if you don't...but anyway, if we are to take on a role as "coach" on a youth ministry staff, it is imperative that we continue to "learn more about the game" so we better equip ourselves to guide our students.  The same, of course, goes for a baseball coach. 

The interesting thing about this comparison between baseball and youth ministry is that, whether you know it or not, there are seven levels to team-affiliated American professional baseball.  They are:

rookie, low A (or A-), A, high A (or A+), AA, AAA, and MLB. 

Coincidentally (or is it?), our youth ministry covers...7 years...

Of course as in baseball, there are minor league players with major league talent, and perhaps unlike our enemy, I believe if Middle School Youth Ministry is indeed much like minor league baseball, I wouldn't be going out on a limb by saying that many of our students have "major league talent" in that they not only have the ability to do great things for Jesus Christ, but many are already doing great things for Jesus Christ, even today.  There are certainly some limitations for middle schoolers in that they don't drive, they don't have much money and in general, they are less independent...but it doesn't mean that they can't do great things and have grand ideas and execute them and help people in the world.  The Lucid staff has been blown away by the involvement of our students in the Lucid Service Series...they've shown us so much and encouraged us in so many ways that it can't even be described in words. 

So I embrace wholeheartedly the role of coach in helping to develop your kids, our students, to come closer to Jesus Christ and not be discouraged by the manipulative ways of our enemy...

And as a "coach", I love when we get students who come into our ministry with so much "natural talent", or a working knowledge and/or relationship with Jesus Christ.  For the work you do at home, teaching your kids, talking to your kids about Christ, praying  with them and for them, THANK YOU...I encourage you to keep "throwing the ball with them in the backyard" and partnering with us so that one day, we can see these kids make the 'Hall of Fame" and bring others with them...

Wishing you all many blessings,

Todd

We're Buying a Cow!

A cow?

Such a crazy idea, it has to be middle school! Since October, middle school students have been participating in on-going service opportunities we’ve named the Lucid Service Series. The Lucid Service Series gives our students a monthly service opportunity to take part in with a little guys vs. girls competition/ice-cream-party-prize-on-the-line thrown in for fun. For more details on what the Lucid Service Series is, what we’ve done past months, or the awesome way that God brought it about, just ask any of us! 

So that brings us to January’s project, buying a cow! That’s right. This past Wednesday, we began a penny war! Pastor Mark contacted a local spring water company to donate two jugs, and after one night, these kids are already well on their way to owning their very own cow! With limited chance for reminder announcements because of the holidays, Sno Glo and weather, the staff honestly didn’t know how many of them would remember to bring their change the first night. But kids started showing up at Lucid with baggies full of copper and emptying their pockets! Sure, the competition factor is a draw, but we’ve noticed that the kids are getting more and more excited each month to participate. They’re thinking outside of themselves. The Service Series is not about guilting them into participating and there are non-money opportunities planned. We’re asking them to participate as they feel led by God. Through each of these service opportunities, they’re seeing in a practical and fairly easy way how they can help others. In this month’s case, the cow we buy will not end up grazing along William Penn Highway, but is instead going toward a family in a developing country who can use the cow for milk or other dairy products… for their own family or for trade. We’ll have more details on the organization soon, but I just wanted to say how proud of our kids all the staff is!

What can parents do? You could ask your kids about the Service Series, to explain some of the events or what we’ve done in the past. You can talk with your kids about what the Bible has to say about service, how we’re called to serve, and brainstorm ways your family can serve others together.  Oh, and you can save your change! We’re collecting until February 4th.

So on behalf of the middle school youth staff, it’s a pleasure to serve our God by working with your kids!

Erin

Yummy Food With Funny Names

Last night’s staff meeting was at my house, and I had some recipe requests, so I figured I’d post them here.

The first is for No Peek Chicken, or as my family fondly calls it, Chicken “No Peek”… It’s really more of a technique than a recipe:
1. Grease a 9x13” pan
2. Sprinkle a box of wild rice on the bottom
3. Spoon a can of cream of chicken soup around the dish in dollops
4. Repeat step 3 with a can of cream of celery soup
5. Pour in one soup can of water
6. Place boneless chicken breasts on top of soup
8. Optional: sprinkle with ½ packet of onion soup mix
(or the seasoning packet from the rice)
7. Cover with foil
8. Place in 250° oven for 2½ hours – no peeking!

The second is for Emeril Lagasse's Brandy and Orange-Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups. With a name like that, you can practically make the recipe from the title alone! :] I find that my grocery store typically has yams, rather than true sweet potatoes, so you may only need four or five to get to three pounds.

Now if we can only get Suzi to post the recipe for the dish she made last month... ;)

How Can I Know??

Sno Glo was a blast! Not only did we have   a  lot of fun, I believe God was working in our hearts through His Word. I would like to take a minute to summarize the focus of this year's sno glo.

The theme was "How Can I Know"? All of the lessons and the worship focused on the topic of salvation and how we can be sure that we have a relationship with God. We were in the book of I John where we considered different evidences of salvation. Here are a few that should be true in our lives if we are a child of God:
1. We love God
2. We love others
3. We keep God's commands
4. We hate sin
5. We confess our sin

One of the most important times was when we gathered as a group in our "break-out" sessions. Here each member of youth staff shared their personal story of how their relationship with God began, and students had an opportunity to ask questions and even share their experiences.

Here are a couple talking points for you as a family to discuss further:

• Each family member can share how they began a relationship with God


• Discuss doubt and where you see a lack of faith in your life


• How sure are you (on a scale of 1-10) that you are a child of God?


• Talk about the relationship of our faith and our good works - how important is it that we show spiritual fruit in our lives?


• What is it that our salvation is based on?

The Glowing of Snowing

We just got back from a wonderful weekend at SnoGlo, the BFC’s annual student winter retreat at Pinebrook in the Poconos. This year was rather atypical in that it actually snowed! Perhaps that’s because they switched the weekends around this year, and the high school group got to go on the weekend that typically belongs to the middle schoolers, who often get snow. In any case, woo hoo!

You may think that wonderful must translate into amazing speaker, big-name band, gourmet food, and stellar accommodations – but…not exactly.

The speaker was solid. His message was simple, his illustrations were clear, and rarely was I sitting in my seat thinking that I needed to be somewhere else. But, honestly, I learned more from the more intimate break-out sessions than I did from the main sessions.

The band was an excellent fit: musically diverse, humble, talented enough to engage your interest, yet local enough to fit the budget. I was especially impressed every time I saw them eating dinner or playing games with the students. I love that they were so accessible.

The food was, well, camp food. Except for a batch of amazing fried chicken, the rest of it was pretty much fuel more than anything else. But I need to add to that the fact that the chef is a really neat guy who is about to depart Pinebrook for an inner-city hunger project where he teaches local churches to feed their communities – how cool is that?

The accommodations…um, let’s just leave it at the clichéd “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

So then you may be wondering how I came to the conclusion of “wonderful” or why I’m even writing this review at all. Here’s why: I think this weekend was a great example of church as family. And I think that’s something we need now more than ever.

I love when we do BFC-wide events. My brother and sister go to Bethel BFC in Emmaus, and I got to spend a lot of time introducing my friends to their friends. Perhaps that’s a part of why I really picked up on the sense of community so much. I just loved seeing students there who knew so-and-so from church who knew so-and-so from school who knew so-and-so from their church and etc. I think a lot of people made new friends while getting to know old friends in a deeper way.

Another part of it was that 89% of the youth staff was able to attend. When you have eight adults to share the work of the “grown up responsibilities”, you end up having a lot of time left over to play. We as staff got to spend hours and hours playing volleyball, sledding, knitting, and talking – both with students and with each other. In one of the break-out sessions, we all shared a brief summary of our experiences walking with God, and I learned amazing new things about people I have known for years. We are certainly a more tightly knit staff after this weekend.

However, the main reason I’m writing this blog entry is that I want to emphasize to you as parents how much we as staff need opportunities like this to truly get to know your children as they are. I would like to encourage you to make these trips a priority when you are working out the 2009 budget and calendar for your family. The year is off to a great start with SnoGlo, and we still have Planet Wisdom, DCLA, and Kickback – perhaps even more.

It’s in overnight trips like these that we all let down our guard. That there’s time for us to get to know everyone better. That there’s opportunity to play sports with the athletic student and have earned his respect for future conversations. That there’s time to hang out with the shy student for hours while she gets up the courage to talk about her latest fears. That there’s the chance to make memories doing crazy stuff in the snow, building the relationships we have with our students so they’ll come to us later when they are in crisis.

In the fast-lane world we perpetually experience in the crazy-busy 21st century, it’s so healthy to slow down, get away from it all, and just be family.

~Susannah