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!!!!
I agree, Todd. The week just seemed... incomplete!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to piggyback off of what Todd said with the 30 Hour Famine coming up. I've talked to a bunch of our students about it. I heard some questions at the parents meeting, too. I think Mark's planning on discussing a little more in depth why it is we fast as Christians. And yes, as staff, we'll definitely try to have conversations with the kids about what it is exactly that they've signed themselves up for!
But I just want to encourage you as families to take some time and talk about it, too. If you don't know much about the reasons behind fasting yourself, don't worry. Look up some passages (the Gospels are full of them) about caring for the poor and the widows, or other social justice issues. Read and talk about what those passages say. Even if they're only asking questions ahead of time and haven't found answers... questions are a good place to start!
And talking to some of our students, I was so encouraged to hear that some of them already do realize that this is not just something they're doing "for fun". Yes, we might have a good time together, but this is not going to be the typical youth group event. And yes, having done the 30 Hour Famine in youth group growing up, I can say that this event WILL impact you while you're there, but they will definitely be touched even more if they've already spent some time studying God's Word or praying about what it is they're about to do.
Okay... not so much "comment length"! Looking forward to the next few months with our kids!
I'd like to second what Erin is saying. I know there were quite a few questions at the parent meeting about the 30HF.
ReplyDeleteMany were questions of logistics, such as what if my teen can't fast for medical reasons or because they have other obligations that day and need to have plenty of energy. We as staff want to hear those concerns so we can reassure you that we will modify the fast however is necessary for your student.
There were also many questions about what teaching will be done about the spiritual aspect of fasting. Rest assured, we will make sure the students know this is not just about being hungry and playing games, but please, please, PLEASE, as parents, it would be so helpful if you would explain the purpose at home as well.
If you have any questions about how to explain fasting to your teen, I'm sure Mark C would be happy to help you with that. Remember that youth ministry doesn't only happen in Room 12/13... We only have the privilege of seeing your teen two or three times a week, while you get to see them every day! =)