Saturday, January 28, 2012

FAMILY PLUS High School - January 28

Hello HS Parents!

This past Wednesday night was GREAT for me - it was the first time since last year that we have gotten back to our regular programming....we have had a BUSY few weeks! We kicked off a new series called "Lost in Translation" that points students toward words that have lost their meaning over time. We discussed how our beliefs "about" Jesus are not nearly as important as our belief "in" Jesus. In other words - we are better off knowing Jesus than we are knowing about Jesus. During His time on earth, Jesus made it clear that knowing Him is enough...in fact, it's essential.

This coming Sunday we will be launching a new Sunday morning series as well on Purity. We will be talking to students about expectations people have regarding purity and whether or not they are attainable. We will discuss what our students feel about their reputations and whether or not they are "examples' of purity to their peers, siblings - even adults. We will wrap up by guiding students toward the fact that pure lives can't be lived out simply by determination or will power - it requires the Holy Spirit.


Virtual Brown Bag Lunch
Join the New Generations Team for lunch from your computer on Thursday, February 2 from 11:30am-12:30pm!
This will be an interactive Internet experience where we will address how to "Protect your Family Online". You'll be amazed at what your kids can access! For instance, by the age of 18, 94% of boys and 63% of girls will have seen pornographic material on the Internet. You will have a chance to eat your lunch, ask questions, and gain practical insight to immediately upgrade internet safety in your home.
Go to www.gladevillechurch.org and click "Watch Live" on the homescreen in order to view the Virtual Brown Bag on Thursday, February 2 at 11:30am.

Let me know if I can pray about something for you or your family.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

FAMILY PLUS High School - January 21

Hello HS Parents!

This past Wednesday night we had a ROCKIN' concert to kick off our 2012 HS and MS spring semester. The Cast and Crew band came down from Michigan to meet with a prospective record label and stopped by our little corner in the Glade for a bout 45 minutes of Christian music. Really LOUD Christian music!! After the show, band members Caleb, Caleb, and Andy took time to hang out with our students. They never seemed rushed to get out the door - in fact, they stayed long after the last student had gone home for the night. Check your student's FB page or that of some of his/her friends to see what they thought of it.

This coming Sunday we will be wrapping up a four week focus on media. Last week, we covered social media - probably the most interesting of all of the media sessions to date. It certainly seemed to be relevant to your students. Did you know that if you take a 20 minute snapshot of Facebook you would find over 10,000,000 comments in just that short time? Now, I'm terrible at math - but that seems to shake out to over 8,000 posts/comments per second. (I'm happy to be corrected by a math teacher or someone better than me at doing 4th grade arithmetic!). Just think of the potential impact that FB has in your student's life - if you don't know what they're doing out there or how to check - ask us how you can monitor what's going on with your students online. You can get a primer by following this link.

Don't forget that this coming Sunday night, January 22, is our Winter Church Conference. We only do these twice each year, but it is a GREAT time to celebrate what God is doing in and through our church. Come to the Fellowship Hall at 5:15 PM for a light dinner and dessert, then hang out for our conference at 6:00 PM to gain insight on key ministry areas of our church, recommendations on moving our ministries forward, insight on the longer look at getting from "here" to "tomorrow," and, again, celebrating what God is doing and where we are going.

As always, let me know what I can be praying about for you or your family. See you tomorrow at the Glade!

-Michael

Friday, January 13, 2012

FAMILY PLUS High School - January 13

Hello!

Welcome to a "dual purpose" FAMILY PLUS message! Since Robert is on his way back from New Orleans (seminary classes), I offered to update Middle and High School parents. (Mainly so I can give him a hard time about not using Siri on his iPhone to do it!).

This past Wednesday night our students went to see the Courageous movie with the rest of our church. If you have not yet seen it, I assure you - it will NOT let you down. It is a great movie with lots of action and lots of thought-provoking scenes directed right at the heart of the family. You can get a copy on DVD or Blu-ray starting January 17th - follow this link to pre-order a copy.

Next Wednesday night we're having a concert in the District at 6:30 with the band "The Cast and Crew." The Cast and Crew is a three-piece band rooted in Battle Creek, Michigan. The band has been touring for nearly four years, logging hundreds of shows on several successful tours, all without the help of a label, management or a booking agency. The hard-working-trio have released their third EP, “Live on Purpose”, which broadcasts a message of hope to revolutionize a new generation. Check them out at thecastandcrew.net or on Facebook here.

This coming Sunday Middle & High Schoolers will be continuing our 4 week focus on media by looking at social media. We'll be checking out these verses in God's Word: Matthew 6:21, Proverbs 17:27, and 1 Peter 2:11-12

We will be asking students to consider questions about social media including the following:

Compared to how much time you spend each day using social media, how much time do you spend each day reading the Bible or praying?

Why is it important to think about what you post or text BEFORE you post or text it?

How can social media be consuming?

What does it mean to "conduct yourselves honorably?


Let us know if you have any questions about this or if we can pray about something for you or your family.