For Parents - Understanding Your Teenager

Ever feel like this when dealing with your teenager?

One of our main missions as a youth ministry is to partner up with parents.  We want to give you all the tools and resources we can to help you become the main spiritual care-takers of your home.  And that's why I'm super excited for an event that is coming up.

A few years ago Tara and I went to National Youth Workers Convention and attended a breakout session called, "Marriage and Ministry," by Jim Burns.  Several things that Jim said stuck out to us, and there have been things that we do differently now because of his influence.  We were introduced to his organization called Homeword, which is an organization that helps resource families.  They focus on marriage and raising kids.

A couple years later I discovered that Homeword has people trained around the U.S. that specialize in giving seminars for parents and youth workers.  One of these seminars is called Understanding Your Teenager.  Since we are dedicated to help resource parents, this seminar jumped out at me.

We are bringing in Dave Veerman from Naperville, IL, on November 10th.  Dave worked for 26 years with Youth for Christ, and was the national campus life director.  He has authored more than sixty books, mostly about parenting and teenagers.  

But we are also bringing in some other voices.  We have a couple of people confirmed, and are awaiting confirmation from some others.  Derry Prenkert from Nappanee Missionary Church will be sharing about how to help a teenagers faith to stick after high school, and Brad Thornton from Bremen Missionary Church will be sharing on the Balancing Act of having teens active in after school programs (sports, band, etc...).

For more information check out our church website (www.klmc.us).  You can register online or send in a registration.  You should be getting something in the mail if you are on the mailing list.  This seminar will be perfect for anyone with kids in 5th-12th grade.  I hope you consider joining us.

Get Pumped!!!

Trust me, you won't want to miss VIBE this week.  Well, maybe you do want to miss it, but I would not advise it.  The most important thing that has ever been said at VIBE will be said this Sunday.  Let me repeat: There has never been a more important statement at VIBE than there will be this week.  So what is the all important statement?  You'll have to come to find out.

There are a couple other things going on.  Next weekend is Girly-Burly (if you don't know what that is look back a couple posts).  We are accepting registrations this Sunday if you didn't get it to me last Sunday.  I think that it is going to be an awesome time.  I'm really looking forward to hanging out with the guys.

We also have registration forms for THELO Conference available.  I'm putting out a signup sheet this week to get a gauge of how many people will be going.  Make sure to sign up (you don't need your money or registration form in to sign up).  Also, make sure you are selling Fish Fry tickets to help reduce the cost of THELO for yourself!  Every ticket will bite off a bit of your total registration.

That's all for me.  Hope to see you this Sunday.  Until then....

Boom-shaka

Beautiful and Broken

We continued our Rescue series last night.  A couple weeks ago we looked at how God created everything beautiful and marvelous.  It was perfect.  And a part of the creation is human beings.  God did not make a mistake in creating humans.  In fact, He was pretty happy with what He had created.  You are created on purpose and for a purpose.  You are not an accident, but a marvelous and beautiful creation.

But last night we looked at a glitch in the system.  Adam and Eve decided to veer off the path and, in doing so, introduced what we call "sin" into the world.  The relationship between God and humans, and the relationships between human beings was broken when they decided to do their own thing.  While God created everything beautifully, we broke it (see Genesis 3).

But fortunately the story didn't end there.  The rest of the Bible is all about God trying to restore His creation and His people.  And so we're not going to end there either.  Actually, God showed some grace by not allowing Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life.  If they had done that, we would have to live in this broken world forever.  But God has a plan.  And God's plan is to restore beauty once again.

I really hope that you will join us this next week to see how that plan is unfolding.  I believe that God is going to move in a huge way if we are open to His leading.

On a different note, I am extending the Girly-Burly registration to this upcoming Sunday.  But you have to tell me that you are going by Wednesday.  That will help in the planning process.  Oh, and enjoy this PSA from a couple friends:

Boom-Shaka

Girly-Burly

I've been slacking on writing these blogs, but no more!  Here we go with a fresh Monday morning blog, and there are some big things coming up.  But first, let's look back at last night.

VIBE was pretty epic with all new (to us) games and giveaways.  Let's Make a Deal was pretty sweet.  I do feel bad that Allen turned down several Gathering Bucks for a can of corn, but I guess that's the nature of the game.  We also opened up our September series: Rescue.  Here are some things we talked about:

1) Everything that God creates is marvelous and beautiful.  He said so Himself!  Genesis 1:31 says that, "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good."  From the first light to the first humans, God liked what He saw.  Which brings us to our next point:

2) Every person, including you, is a marvelous and beautiful creation.  At least, God sees it that way.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb.  I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!  Body and soul, I am marvelously made!  I worship in adoration—what a creation!  You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.  Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. (Psalm 139:13-16, The Message)

That means that each person was created on purpose and for a purpose.  Even when it feels like you are nothing but an accident, someone of no worth, someone who no one else likes, even then you are a marvelous and beautiful creation, created with a purpose for a purpose.

3) Because everyone is a marvelous and beautiful creation, we should treat others as God sees them.  How do you think God feels when His creation, the creation that He loves so much, destroys itself?  Even the people who are the most difficult to deal with are part of God's beautiful creation.

At the end of this blog is a video of the song "Everything Glorious" by David Crowder.  We sang this song yesterday, and it's simply a reminder that everything God creates is glorious, and we are a part of that creation.  Not that we are to be prideful that God has created us beautifully, but mindful of this, and constantly worshiping Him because of His grace.

OK, so that was last night, but in a couple weekends we have a big deal coming up.  Our first ever Girly-Burly retreat is coming up.  This upcoming Sunday is the last Sunday that you can turn in permission slips/money to be secured a spot, and as of right now I have 3 permission forms turned in.  This is going to be an incredible time!

For those asking, "What's Girly-Burly," let me explain.  We are doing three retreats in one weekend.  The guys will be going with me to the luxurious Super 8 in Plymouth to have an excellent night of video games, swimming, pizza, and talking about what it means to be a man of God.  The Jr. High girls are going to Lita Hall's house to do their girly thing (movie, food, painting fingernail?  I don't know what girls do at over-nighters) and the high school girls are going to Lori Pucel's for a girly night as well.  This runs September 28 at 4 p.m. central/slow time through September 29 at 1 p.m. central/slow time.  You will be responsible for your own ride to and from the event.

We also have the Fish Fry coming up, and I didn't get those tickets out last night.  So if you want a jump start, come get your tickets from the church office sometime this week.  Sell tickets, earn money towards THELO Conference (more details coming soon!).

Boom-shaka

Feed the Children

Hey guys, we have a really cool opportunity coming up next Saturday.  We will be heading out to Elkhart to an organization called "Feed the Children".  We will be packing boxes of non-perishable items to send to local families in need.  The last time we went it was a huge success, and they called us back to see if we could come again.  Again, that's September 8th. 

After we pack boxes in the morning, we will head out to Ox Bow Park.  There's all kinds of things to do there: football, volleyball, frisbee, hiking, eating hot dogs and burgers!  It's going to be a fantabulous time.  The one thing that would really help is if Jr. High could bring snacks and High School bring drinks.

When: Saturday, Sept. 8 - 6:45-3:30 central (slow)
Where: Feed the Children/Ox Bow Park
What: Packing boxes of non-perishable items for local families and lots of fun!
Why: To serve our local community and have fun while doing it
How: Riding a bus!  Who loves bus rides?  This guy!

Also, remember that there is no VIBE this Sunday due to Labor Day.  But come to the Donut Booth at the Blueberry Festival and visit me.  You will probably want about 80 dozen donuts while you're there too.

Boom-Shaka