The plan is to hold a game every Wednesday night that is open to those who brought friends with them.  Those eligible will compete in the game.  The winner of that game has to pass a final test, which could result in a cash prize!  We will put $20 into the prize each week.  If a week goes by that someone doesn’t win, the amount will increase by $20 the following week.  The results could be very rewarding!

While some may feel that our goal is to “buy” friends, that is not the case.  Our real goal is to show just how important we believe it is to invite others to church and share the Gospel with them.  The friend incentive is open to middle and high school youth and is occurring on a trial basis this fall.  After that we will decide whether or not to continue beyond.  In the mean time, be sure to find some friends to invite!

Middle School. Our younger youth will be going through a brand new series called “Grapple“.  This material is designed to help middle

schoolers with specific questions they wrestle with on a daily basis.  The curriculum is put out by Group Publishing, and, while we are trying it out for this quarter, if all goes well it could earn a more permanent status as middle school Wednesday night lesson material.

Aside from tackling Jr. High questions head-on, this material also comes with a website.  Each middle schooler will be receiving a username and password to access a website just for them – think of this as a group page for their Bible study.  Giving middle schoolers access to a website may raise several questions.  Please take a look at some of the information below about this site.

• Usernames and passwords will be distributed to youth AND their parents, meaning you will be allowed access to the same site if you choose.
• The purpose of the site is to keep students interacting with the lesson material.  They can even post prayer requests.
• Youth may make posts and contributions to the site, but it is a closed circuit – it’s only open to members of our specific group.
• Our adult teachers will also have access to the site and will act as moderators.
• Group has an information page for parents.  You can access it by clicking here.  *Note*  Group puts this material out as Sunday School curriculum, so if you come across references to Sunday School, just know that it is actually being taught on Wednesdays.
• If you have other questions about this material and accompanying website, please contact Kevin

We’re excited about these coming changes to the youth ministry.  Please be in prayer with us as we continue to influence youth for the cause of Christ!

First off, Core Beliefs begin September 5 and continue through October 3.  Twice a year we teach on the Core Beliefs – key doctrines that we hold to as Bible-believing Christians.  There are 6 such Core Beliefs that have been formulated, and this month we will teach 3 of them:

• Creation (September 5) – God is our creator, and we are accountable to Him.
• Salvation (September 12) – Salvation is by faith in Christ Jesus.
• Uniqueness of Jesus (September 19) – No other person/religion compares to Jesus.

September 26 is a special week, followed by October 3, which will be our Bible Answer Man – a time when students get to ask any question they may have, and our panel of teachers answers them.  Most of these questions center upon the Core Beliefs we just studied.

On October 10, the youth ministry will be changing its Sunday School curriculum.  After spending a year with FaithWeaver, we have decided that we can more effectively impact students with a new curriculum series called Student Life Bible Study.  This study is a comprehensive 6-year plan through the Bible.  Though we regret that there isn’t an adult companion class for parents who want to go through the same lessons as their children (like FaithWeaver has), we are very excited about the possibilities of this curriculum and its ability to get on the youth level.

Also, we will still be able to provide Family Devotion sheets for you.  View this Sample Parent Page.  The pages will be posted/sent to you by either Bobby or Kevin.  Our goal in all of this is to be more effective in the way we train our students in understanding the truths of God’s Word.

What is the conference all about?  It is a call to action – for teens to rebel against society’s low expectations by living a radical life for Christ.  Alex and Brett Harris are the founders of the conference and it all started from their book, Do Hard Things, which they wrote at the age of only 19 years!  Since then, the message of the Rebelution has been to “Do Hard Things” to honor God.

Permission slips are available on the ‘Forms & Files‘ page.  The event cost is $35 per person, and we need a form and/or money by Sunday, September 19.  If funds are an issue, please see Kevin – we want everyone to be able to go to this event.

Parents, you are encouraged to read a letter about the conference from the father of the Harris boys.  You can find it by clicking here.

We hope to see you there!  In the mean time, check out a video about the conference below:

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http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/06/teens_increasingly_share_locat.html

The Bible doesn’t say not to talk to strangers, and you probably won’t be surprised to learn that it also does not contain any specific policies on internet use.  It does, however, speak a great deal about wisdom; it also reminds us that we are in a fallen, sinful world.  One of the things that Jesus told His disciples before sending them out to do ministry was this:  ”I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves” (God’s Word Translation).  The context may be different, but the principle remains.  We must be very wise in all of our actions.

You can access the article by clicking here.

This article brings up questions regarding God’s design for rest.  The Israelites had a strict Sabbath policy that forbade work or activity on Saturdays.  You may remember (or, like me, have been told by your parents) a time when businesses closed on Sundays.  Today, however, it seems like the average American family is moving non-stop at a frantic pace every day of the week.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Does your family take adequate time for rest together?
• Would your teen express a proper value for a day of rest?
• Do you set a proper example of sleep patterns?
• What is one or two things that you could do to better make rest a priority?

Sometimes God’s plan for us means pausing to simply enjoy Him.  I hope for you and your family that involves adequate sleep and a family day of rest.