This is just a glimpse of the life change that is happening in our Wednesday night small groups. The students are engaged and the leaders are doing a wonderful job!!! God is moving in big ways throughout this group… it’s so exciting to see.
Jr. High Boys being led by Tim McCune; Check out the sweet new deck!!!
Jr. High Girls with Ashley and Lindzy (in the new foyer of the youth center)
HS Boys being led by Jonathan
HS Girls being led by Lauren
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ’sinner.’ ”
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
We don’t have to settle for the titles we’ve been given, or the past that seems to define us. We can ask the God of the universe to help us rewrite our stories…. and He will!
Are we walking through life lukewarm? What can we do to change that?
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth” Revelation 3:14-16
This Sunday, July 25 we will start our series based on the movie To Save A Life. For more information on the movie, please check out their website www.tosavealifemovie.com.
Below is a letter to parents with important information about this series.
Parent Newsletter
Must-Read Information About Our Upcoming To Save A Life Series
Hey Parents,
I want to let you know about an upcoming series for our teenagers, which I believe is going to be life changing for those involved. The seven-week series starts on Sunday, July 25, and it is based on the movie To Save A Life. I highly recommend that not only your son or daughter see the movie, but you see it as well. The movie is about the real-life challenges of teens and their choices, and it can help raise awareness of what students go through.
In the To Save A Life series, we will deal with hard but very real issues like social acceptance, cutting, teen suicide, depression, and somehow being Jesus’ hands and feet in a hurting world. Even though these are difficult topics, over the next few weeks the series will help your son or daughter become equipped to reach out to the hurting and lonely on their campuses and truly make a difference in their world. I really encourage you to ask your teen about their experiences each week, and be ready to listen to what they’re learning and how they’re being challenged.
Nick Fox
What’s Your Teen’s Life Going to Be About?
In a compelling scene from the movie To Save A Life, the youth pastor tells the main character, Jake, “At some point, you’ve gotta answer the question, ‘What’s your life going to be about?’” Teen life is full of questions…and defining moments. Help your teen see themselves as loved by God and able to live a life of real significance.
Series Schedule:
Handling the Tough Stuff
Life as a teenager can be difficult. Every day, your teen does their best to be liked, do well in school, get along with their family, and make important decisions that could affect their whole lives. Teenagers can’t avoid pressures, and it’s natural to worry about them. The first step in helping your teen is differentiating between normal growing pains and a crisis situation. No one knows your son or daughter better than you. Read through the following list and remember these signs as you observe your teenager. You might also be in a position to help one of their friends.
A teen might need special help if they:
If you observe one or more of these signs, you might need to find experienced or even professional help for your student.
Did You Know…
These are difficult, but very real issues. Below are some Web sites, books, and phone numbers where you can find help.
National Institute of Mental Health (nimh.nih.gov and search under children and adolescents)
Boys and Girls Town 24-hour Hotline: 1-800-448-3000
1-800-Suicide
1-800-273-Talk
1-877-Youthline
A Parent’s Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis by Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock
Hope and Healing For Kids Who Cut by Marv Penner
7/19-7/23… VBS! All week from 6:30-9:15 we will be spending time learning about our God and spending time “Backstage with the Bible.”
7/22 (Thursday)… RIVER DAY! We will be meeting at the Church and leaving by 10:30. We’ll spend some time on the river and be back around 2:30. Make sure you either bring a lunch or some money for food.
7/23 (Friday)… CORE meeting. Meet at Nick’s house from 12-3 for food, games, and some time of discussion about the vision and direction of the youth ministry. We are doing a Mexican theme this week, so bring some Mexican food!
Good Morning; we have an internet connection restored and we are back online! God has been breaking down walls and changing lives all week. The students have been well-fed, loved on, encouraged, and prayed for all week and the life change is apparent.
Our dodgeball team took third place in a hard fought tournament, Alex Dinsmore is the WORLD CHAMPION for spoons, we had participants in the belly-flop, so overall the River City youth has also fought well. We conquered the zip line, the high ropes, the 100 foot water slide, and the hot Texas sun.
“My favorite part of camp so far would have to be when we have our ‘River City’ time each night.” Jordan Hoffler (NB)
The first full day of camp was a long, crazy, and fun day. Camp so far has been amazing and it is obvious around every corner and in every conversation with a student that God is already moving in big ways. There is an overwhelming sense that God is preparing us for something big; that each day we encounter and engage with Him, but that we are moving closer and closer to an intense encounter with Him.
“Y.A.M.”, our young adult ministry gets together to fellowship, pray for each other and pray over the kids. These and the other leaders are the backbone of this ministry and are on the front lines praying with and loving on your kids every day.
At our evening “River City time,” we start the night with some fun games; this is an enormous game of Big Booty that ends with a showdown between John Burton from the Redland campus and Madison Hodges from the New Braunfels campus. It was and intense showdown that ended in sudden death Rock-Paper-Scissors match-up, with Madison winning my Snickers!!!! Way to go Madison (I really do miss that Snickers though)
Please continue to pray for all of us here… that we can continue to seek Him above all else, and He will continue to move in a crazy way all over this camp. we miss you… more, later…
“So roll up your sleeves,put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, ‘I am Holy; you be Holy.’” 1 Peter 1:13-16 (msg.)
Camp has gotten off to a great start. We arrived around 12:30, registered, found our bunks, got to play a little, dinner, had a great time of worship and fellowship with the River City crew, then we headed over to the main tabernacle to hear from Chris & Conrad and then Jeff Mangum who brought it.
In our “River City time” we focused on this scripture from 1 Peter (which is the camp verse for this year). More particularly, we broke down the first part that tells us to put our minds in gear and to be totally ready to receive from Christ the gift that He has for all of us. The challenge was thrown down to evaluate our expectations coming in to camp because all too often what we expect to happen or what we expect to gain is exactly what we get. If we come in with a negative attitude and expect nothing, that’s what we’ll get. If we come in with open minds and open hearts, expecting to encounter the God of the universe and to have relationship with Him, that’s what we’ll get too. The question is, what are you expecting?
As you can see, we are having an amazing, fun-filled, busy, growing and stretching time at camp; keep checking the blog to see what we are doing and we should have some pictures up for you later. Keep praying for all of us, especially the kids, that they are willing to let the walls of their heart be torn down, expecting to have a life-changing encounter with God!
well, off to watch the energy team, do some Bible study, and check out the river. more later…
Well, the time is finally here and we are heading to camp… It is going to be an amazing time. In case you were wondering what we would be doing every hour of the day, here is the schedule: