Unexpected (Primetime Teaching)

WE’RE TEACHING THIS 

When it comes to Christmas, there is a lot to look forward to. Candy canes, tinsel, twinkling lights, and—oh, right. The gifts. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about the gifts you’re hoping to receive this Christmas. Maybe you’ve even made a list so your friends and family know exactly what to give you. But while it’s fun to unwrap a gift you’ve been waiting and hoping for, have you ever been given a gift that took you entirely by surprise? A gift you didn’t even know you wanted until you opened it? A gift that was completely unexpected? Unexpected gifts have been at the heart of the Christmas story for more than two thousand years, beginning with the very first Christmas. And believe it or not, it was God who began the tradition. For the next few weeks, we’ll talk about three times God surprised the world with a gift that was entirely unexpected. And, as we do, we might just discover how much those gifts continue to matter today.

THINK ABOUT THIS 

One night last December, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table making Christmas cookies – by myself. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that was not the plan. That was not our tradition.

Now that my kids are teenagers with busy schedules of their own, no one else was home but me. So there I sat, clinging to my tradition, making cookies alone – and feeling pretty sad about the whole thing. (I’m sure I let everyone know how sad I was when they got home.)

One thing parenting has taught me about traditions is that they are easy to start and hard to let go. So what happens when the kids get older and you find yourself experiencing more transition than tradition?

The first thing I had to do was accept that transition is a part of life. It’s evidence that my kids are growing up and growing up is a good thing. It’s ok that they don’t want to watch Frosty the Snowman or make ornaments out of felt anymore. Now that they’re college and high school age their interests have changed – they are transitioning. Knowing that, if we want to stay connected with our kids, tweaking a tradition or even starting a new one needs to happen.

Second, their dad and I had to decide which traditions were worth clinging to and which ones we needed to let go. We did this by simply asking the kids which traditions meant the most to them. This helped so much! I was surprised by some of the things they said, like getting a peppermint milkshake in our PJs while driving around looking at Christmas lights had to stay. That one still gets two thumbs up! Making the gingerbread house on the other hand…it could go. (And while we’re at it, the Christmas cartoons could go too!) Who knew? They knew! Deciding on traditions with the kids gave us permission to let go of some things – guilt free – and stop trying to force moments to happen that they had outgrown.

Finally, I had to remind myself the purpose of traditions in the first place. Traditions are meant to keep us connected to the ones we love and give us a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves – not make us feel exhausted, frustrated and disappointed (maybe even a little depressed). As long as I have a relationship with my kids, things are good. We don’t have to make Christmas cookies to stay connected or to have a relationship or even to have a wonderful Christmas. We just need time with each other.

Now that I have one kid away at college and two teens at home, being together in the same place at the same time is difficult, which makes keeping up with our traditions difficult. I’m learning to make the most of the time I have with my family rather than pout over the time I don’t have.

If we have some minutes in the car, we turn up the Christmas music and sing together. So what if we’re not gathered around the fireplace like we did when they were younger.

Since watching the holiday Hallmark movies is one of my kids’ favorite things to do, I make sure and record them so when we find ourselves together I can pop the popcorn and have a spontaneous movie night.

I allow my kids’ friends to join the fun because my kids really like being with their friends. Rather than look at it like their friends are invading our traditions, I’m thankful my kids and their friends are letting me hangout with them. It’s all in your perspective.

The point is we’re together, staying connected with the ones we love during the holidays. After all, when you really think about it, it’s the relationship with your kids you should be fighting for, not the tradition. So keep a loose grip on those traditions but hold tightly to the hearts of your kids.

By Autumn Ward 

TRY THIS 

As parents, it can be tempting to assume which holiday traditions are most important for our family members and which ones aren’t. This Christmas, try asking your son or daughter…

• Which Christmas traditions do you hope we keep going for a long time?
• Which ones would you be okay with ending?
• What is one new tradition you’d like to start this year?

By starting the conversation, you may be surprised at what you find. Sometimes traditions that seem silly to us are the most meaningful and memorable to our kids. Remember, fight for the relationship with your kid, not the tradition.

Operation WarmUP

Every month in Student Ministries we focus on a local or global missions project. Already this year we have contributed to back to school supplies, Trunk or Treat Outreach, Thanksgiving Baskets, Meatball Bowl Outreach, Covenant World Relief Cans, and now for a new project. I always love when my students come up with genius ideas! In the spirit of thanksgiving the community team has come up with a new idea called Operation WarmUp.

As the seasons are changing and it's getting extremely cold at night the students feel called to encourage and support  the homeless in our community. The are asking that during the months of December and January we collect new socks, hats, scarves, and gloves for the homeless. You can drop them off in the bins throughout the church. Our hope is to then go deliver them  to individuals in our community. Would you consider giving this winter to our project?

Power Play (Primetime Teaching)

WE’RE TEACHING THIS 

Power is a good thing. And in most cases, more power is a better thing. We want our phones to be powered up, our cars to be powerful, our laptops to be powered on, and our football teams made of power players. But those aren’t the only places that power is important to us. We all want to have power in relationships too. Maybe you’ve never thought about it that way but chances are you want people to listen to you, to pay attention to you or to care about what you think.

That’s power. And whether you realize it or not, every relationship you have comes with some power or influence. Every interaction with another person is an opportunity to use your power, even if you feel like you don’t have any. During this series we’re going to talk about two people from the New Testament who looked at power differently than anyone else: Paul and Jesus. In their stories, we find that, no matter who is in control, there is always a power play we can make on behalf of others. 

THINK ABOUT THIS 

When you first became a family, you likely thought that you would never have a fight.

You would be a perfect couple.

Your son would discipline himself, and your daughter would, well, never sin because she’s your daughter.

How’s that going? Hasn’t really turned out that way, has it?

The sad reality is that every family fights. As much as we don’t like it, we do. Most of us realize fighting is destructive and likely unChristian, but we don’t know what to do about it.

And the stakes are high. Families, break up or break down as a result.

So what do you do about fighting?

Well, if you’re going to fight, just fight differently. There are actually two ways for a family to fight.

• You can fight with each other.
• Or you can fight for each other.

These two small words—for and with—represent a world of difference in how you fight.

Most of us have only ever had someone fight with us. If someone fights with you, it’s a zero sum game. They need to win and you need to lose or you need to win in order for them to lose. The people who fight care more about themselves than anyone. Both eventually walk away feeling diminished.

Contrast that with fighting for someone. When you fight for someone: You’re fighting for them so you want to see them better off. The fight is happening because you want to see them win, not because you want to win. You care more about their interests than you do about yours. Both walk away replenished—with the relationship stronger in the short and long term. Even if the other person doesn’t respond well, you have done everything in your power to help them, not hurt them.

Fighting for your family means you want their best interests to prevail, not yours. It means that when there’s conflict, the conflict is about moving through an issue so that person is better off, not so you feel right or vindicated. And finally it means that everyone leaves better than before the fight, rather than depleted. Relationships are stronger and the issues got dealt with in a way that actually helped your family move forward.

TRY THIS 

Sometimes fighting for your student means choosing which battles matter most right now and which can be walked away from, even if it’s just for a little time. A heated argument, fueled with teenage sarcasm, can make any issue feel like a battle you must win—but that doesn’t mean it is. When you choose to fight for your student, to fight for something that really matters in their life and their future, they’ll be more likely to listen if they know you don’t fight with them over everything.

Think about the last month with your student. Write down the four areas where you experience the most conflict with them. Maybe it’s how they keep their room or how they drive the car. Maybe it’s how little time they spend at home or how much time they spend with friends.

1. ______________________________________________
   
2. ______________________________________________
   
3. ______________________________________________
   
4. ______________________________________________
   

Now, take a look at your list and think about which ones matter most—not only to their high school career, but also to their future and the future of your relationship with them. If you could only choose to fight one or two of these battles with your student, which would one(s) would you pick?

Next time you feel the power struggle start to rise in your house, take a quick peek back at this list. Is a fight brewing over something that really matters? Then, choose to fight for them. If it isn’t, give yourself the permission to let this one go. 

SHIFT: SHIFT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE

SCRIPTURE 

Philippians 2:1-18
“If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine pas lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”

SUMMARY

Imitating Jesus, especially his humility, is the key to living well with other believers.

At Home DISCUSSION

Here are some great discussion starters for you to take this discussion home after TOV.  Don't quiz your teen, but instead talk about it in a transparent way where you are sharing as well.

1. Do you ever struggle in your relationships with other Christians—either at your church, or within the worldwide church? Share an example.
2. Do you think society encourages us to be selfish? How do you see examples of that? Do you ever fall into that trap?
3. How often do you struggle with complaining and grumbling? How do complaining and grumbling relate to humility? How do they relate to sacrifice?

APPLICATION

1. In what kinds of situations is it hardest for you to look to the interests of others?
2. How can we as a familypractice humility and servanthood this week?

SHIFT: SHIFT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Scripture

John 15:1–8

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit….”

Summary

Jesus is the vine, the ultimate source of life. If we stay connected to him, we will produce fruit. But if we are cut off from him we cannot produce fruit in our lives as God intended.

Gut Check Time

What vines are attached to your life right now? Are they helping you to look more or less like Jesus?

Don’t forget that Jesus was sharing this story with his disciples (who needed to hear this message too) right before he was going away from them. It was a critical reminder to all of them about the need to remain attached to the true vine.

Let’s look at five significant steps that each of us can take to help shift our lives in a way that will help us stay attached to the true vine and do something significant with the one life we have been given.

1.      Identify and list areas in your life where you are attached to the true vine.

2.      Identify and list areas in your life where you are attached to false vines.

3.      Verbalize and share both of those lists with a trusted friend and leader.

4.      With your friends and leader put together a specific plan to shift your life in a way that connects you to the true vine and away from the false vines.

5.      Repeat steps 1-4 often.

Trunk or Treat

Trunk or Treat is coming Oct. 31st 2015

Trunk or Treat was birthed out of this desire to be a blessing to the community around us. So we literally drove out of KCC and decided to host Trunk or Treat at the Kent Target.  It provides a safe, fun, and welcoming environment for kids to trunk or treat, parents to grab some cider/popcorn, and for us to share the love of God in organic ways. We have seen over 700 people young and old blessed by this event.  It takes a lot of people to make this event successful.  There's lots to do whether it's decorating a car, passing out candy, greeting, making cider or popcorn, or helping with setup/teardown- we'd love to have you. It's been great to see how truly intergenerational this event can be when the church gathers together to throw an amazing party. We hope this night will also be an opportunity to build friendships and invite  them to come check out KCC, Kent Nepali Church, or Esperanza Viva . We hope you can join us.

Wired (Primetime Teaching)

We're Teaching This

How many hours are you technologically connected on a normal day? If you were to add up your hours online, your glances at text messages, your streaming music, your perusing social media, your Netflix addiction, how many hours could you count? It’s probably a lot. Our culture is obsessed with technology—and with good reason. Technology keeps us connected to each other and to the world around us. Nearly every device we own transmits signals to something else, somewhere else. Why? Because that’s how they’re wired to function. Our phones, tablets, smart watches, gaming systems—they all are wired to connect to something outside them.

And the same is true for us. We are wired for connection. It’s in our design. As we take a closer look at what Jesus called “the greatest commandment”, we discover that we were wired to have three vital relationships: with God, with ourselves, and with others. And when those connections are made, everything else begins to function as it was designed to.

Think About This

Your student is changing fast. Chances are this isn’t a surprise. Their classes are changing. Their friends are changing. Their bodies are definitely changing. But one change you may not see as quickly are the changes that are happening in your student’s brain. As our students approach puberty, their brains are being physically rewired to function less like a child and more like an adult. New connections are forming. Old ones are collapsing. Parts of the brain are being reorganized. And with all of that activity, it’s no surprise that they may experience occasional “outages” or glitches in their judgment, their memory, and their emotional control. That means…

• your straight-A scholar may suddenly forget their homework.
• your sweet, quiet child may now have teenage emotional outbursts.
• your reasonable, responsible student may have a few mindboggling lapses in judgment.

When that happens, our first reaction may be to panic and wonder, What went wrong here? But, most of the time, nothing is really wrong. Our students’ brains are simply under construction.

In their book, Teen Stages, authors Ken and Elizabeth Mellor describe this as a “cognitive rebirth” beginning around age 13 and continues into young adulthood. That means during middle school and high school, your student may show some behaviors reminding you a lot of their toddler and early elementary years. And…it’s perfectly normal.

While no two children are the same, and development is surely going to look different and take different amounts of time for each one, it may be helpful to look at the stages Mellor outlines to see where your student fits and what may be coming next.

As you check out the table below, find which descriptions best match your student and read to see what maybe coming in the next year. No matter what phase of rewiring your student is in, it’s important to remember that it’s only a phase. Enjoy them exactly as they are today and know that you play a key role, even during the later stages, in guiding them toward what’s next.

Hard Rock Series

We are excited to be back in the rhythm of High School Ministries.  This fall on Wednesday Nights we are working on a new series of talks focused around Identity. High School can be a challenging time for student as they wrestle with who they are, redefining yourself after going down the wrong road, and who God says we are. Here are the weekly topics and scripture to back up each of the talk. Our hope is to help students see that their identity. Follow along and if you have any great stories to share I'd love to hear them.

HARD ROCK TALKS

 

Week One: John 8:3-11 You don't have to be defined by your mistakes!

This week is about making mistakes-not literally- but things in our past that can create false identity in us. We all make mistakes, but we need to make sure we aren’t holding on to them and being defined by them. Identify what mistakes we hold onto, and reminded to forgiving yourself.

Week Two: Luke 9:25 Knowing who you are.

A lot of students become a person who—deep down inside—they don’t want to be. They find themselves acting out of insecurity. Often, this can lead to hurting others. This week, help your students reevaluate who they are around their friends. Help them see if it’s consistent with who they want to be as well as who God has made them to be. We want students to take a look at who they are and align themselves with who God has made them to be.

Week Three: Luke 6:45 What defines you.

It can be easy to give into our critical thoughts and pessimism. We often find ourselves being more negative and cutting others down than optimistic and uplifting. We cause separation in relationships when we take on a character of negativity. People simply don’t want to be around negative people. We need to be defined not by our negativity, but rather by finding the good in people and situations. We’ll learn that life is much better lived helping others and caring about people. Help your students figure out what areas of their life they feel they’re most negative about and how they can create positivity in those things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J

 

Real Talk (Primetime Teaching)

We're Teaching  This

Talking to some people is easy. You can hang out with your friends for hours and never run out of anything to say. You feel like you can talk to them about anything. But you probably also know people who just seem to make you a little nervous when you have to talk to them. Maybe it’s a teacher, coach or your boss at work, but you always feel you say something wrong or they are never impressed. No matter who it is, you choose your words carefully when you talk to that person because you don’t want to mess things up. And if we’re honest, prayer can feel a lot like that. The whole idea of it makes us a little nervous. We wonder if we sound silly. We try to use just the right words but we aren’t sure we’re doing it right. And often, we are tempted to back away from prayer because it just feels awkward. But what if talking to God was never meant to be that way? What if talking to God was supposed to feel more like chatting with a good Friend than making an impressive speech? During this series, we’re going to take a look at what Jesus said prayer is and isn’t. And as we do, you may just find yourself wanting to lay down the formalities, relax and have some real talk.

Think About This

Parenting is not for wimps—especially when it comes to parenting teenagers. There’s a lot of pressure for parents to get it right all the time. And, everyone has areas where they wish they handled things better. So, what is that area for you? Is it that you tend to lose your temper with your teenager? (Who doesn’t?) Or maybe you just wish you could just let things go a little more easily. Maybe you keep your cool, but obsessive worrying is an issue. You’re constantly thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Or maybe between all of the sports, the homework, the relational drama, and the financial commitments of raising a teenager you find yourself always stressed out.

Or maybe it’s all of those.

Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix to alleviate all of the pressures of parenting, but there is one thing that science tells us could be really helpful. And when you read what it is, you may be surprised.

Prayer.

Recent studies indicate there are a number of psychological benefits to prayer. And, prayer isn’t a practice limited to clergy and the super spiritual. In fact, a 2013 report from the Pew Research Center found that over half of Americans pray every day and 21% of those who aren’t affiliated with any religious group still pray.

• Prayer improves self control. Research participants who said a prayer prior to a mentally exhausting task were better able to exercise self-control following that task... Findings such as these suggest that prayer has an energizing effect.
• Prayer makes you nicer. Researchers found that having people pray for those in need reduced the amount of aggression they expressed following an anger-inducing experience. In other words, prayer helps you not lose your cool.
• Prayer makes you more forgiving. Researchers found that having people pray for a romantic partner or friend made them more willing to forgive those individuals.
• Prayer increases trust. Recent studies found that having people pray together with a close friend increased feelings of unity and trust. This finding is interesting because it suggests that praying with others can be an experience that brings people closer together.
• Prayer offsets the negative health effects of stress. Researchers found that people who prayed for others were less vulnerable to the negative physical health effects associated with financial stress. Also, it was the focus on others that seemed to be contributing to the stress-buffering effects of prayer. Praying for material gain did not counter the effects of stress. So thinking about the welfare of others may be a crucial component of receiving personal benefits from prayer.

Grow (September TOV)

This month we will be taking a look at the vision behind KCC's Student Ministries with is taken from the acronym GROW.  GROW (God’s Word, Relationships, Outward Action, and Worship) is a pathway that will enable you to grow closer to God, wrestle with issues of faith, reveal the unique gifts you were born to share, and strengthen and equip you for a life of significance. Life with God and for God is a challenging journey. Prayerfully consider some practices or actions that will help you grow closer to God.

• God’s Word: Illuminated by the Spirit (enabling you to meet God, and to understand and live out the truths of the Bible)
• Relationships: United by the Spirit (enabling you to grow in your relationships with friends, across generations, and among people of varying ethnicities and backgrounds)
• Outward Action: Directed by the Spirit (enabling you to extend compassion and mercy to others, to share God’s story, and to act to reverse injustice)
• Worship: Ignited by the Spirit (enabling you to live an intimate, abundant, joy-filled life in Christ both as an individual and as the body of Christ)

Day 4: Matt Vanbrundt

Friday blog!

12:37

So being the last day of CHIC 2015 everyone here is excited because we know its going to be an amazing night, my favorite band in the line up Rend Collective will be preforming and I'm so pumped for that. But there's also the air of sadness about people. We're getting done with this big adventure we are all in and about to return home. Personally i will be sad to not be in as much contact with the people in the group. During this week, more than anything, i have grown to love and care deeply about the people in the group. Because coming to a big conference like this i had thought that we were going to meet new people and learn about other peoples way and struggles and indeed we have, through project blue and the taste of heaven project. But again the part that has come center stage is the relationships with the people in the church i would have otherwise never gotten to know. I am so thankful for the opportunity to grow the strength of everyone and come together and support one another in their shifts

1:14

Packing up all my things reflecting on all the different ways my clothes got dirty, when Stephan and i picked up some traffic cones and i accidentally pick thee dirtiest cone on the face of the planet and got my entire body dirty, or the still damp shirt that i forgot to hang up after white river rafting. Its sad because with a cup if detergent all the little memories will be gone.

11:30pm

Today was the best day of chic out of the whole week, the concert tonight was insane, a bunch of KCC kids/ leaders got onto the main floor to watch the show and the speaker was so powerful. We head out tomorrow, but after today i know the bonds I've made with the people in the church will last and the lessons I've learned here have given me the inspiration to really make change happen.

Day 3: Micah Wills

Shalom KCC blog. Today is Tuesday. The temperature was around 80 degrees so that rad, but what was ever radder (if that's a word) is there was a huge thunder and rain storm which we ran through at the begging and it took me back to Detroit when we went. A few people and I went to an underground lake tour which was kinda cool but we got experience "complete darkness", which was my favorite part of the day. You couldn't see your own hand in front of you which was insane! The speaker at night time was Judy Peterson and she was superb and spoke a lot on how God forgives us no matter what. The band was King and Country, who were an Australian man band who rocked. I'm typing this as I am watching them so I must go and experience the musicá! 

Day 2: Linda Marburger

As the lyrics to the song go…

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

 

Tonight at Main Stage we sang this song and I was thinking that it’s a great song to describe what God is doing in the lives of our teens at CHIC.  In the midst of schedules, humidity, sweat dripping down our backs (literally) and early mornings, we are settling into routines and getting to know each other.  Kids are making new friends within our KCC family and with kids from other churches.  In many ways, it seems amazing today was only our second full day here!  But God is definitely here and He is at work.  We can see Him making a difference in kid’s lives already.  I’m excited to see what happens as the week progresses.

 

Tonight LaCrae was the performer.  Oh my gosh!!  The kids were so excited!!  He was not only the musical performer but also the speaker.  There isn’t enough time to describe his whole speech but here are a few quotes that stuck out to me:

 

Who you think you are is based on who you let define you.

 

If you live for the world’s esteem, you can’t live for God’s esteem.

 

Your ministry is where your feet are.  

 

You’re going to have to sacrifice the rewards of this world in order to gain the eternal ones.

 

There’s no such thing as a secret disciple.  Is there anyone in your life that would be surprised to know you are a Christian?

 

You get the point.  The kids loved the performance!  Some of the girls in our small group were raving about it numerous times tonight.  It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea but I loved watching the kids loving it.  

 

Thanks for the sacrifices the KCC family has made in order for this group to be here.  It is worth it.  God is going to do great things in the lives of these kids.  He has already started working.  It’s awesome to get to see Him work!

Day 1: Hannah Hren

Yesterday, Sunday July 12th was our first full day here at CHIC! We all woke up early as we met to eat breakfast together at 5:30 AM in order to leave for White Water River Rafting at 6. Though most of us got little sleep leading up to it, we made up what we could on the 2 hour bus ride to the river.

I think our group could all agree that the rafting was one of the best things we've done here so far. The weather was warm and the water wasn't too cold, and we all got drenched. Which included watching Ruby and her group fall into the river after flying through a rapid. 

When we arrived back to campus, we finally got to explore the HUB, which is where the CHIC staff has set up activities such as inflatables, crafts, snow cones and the large outdoor pool. A large group of us took the time to see what there was to offer, as we enjoyed 3 boxes of free pizza (which we couldn't finish so we decided to offer the leftovers to other students from around the country) and Evan blared music from the speakers attached to his backpack. 

After dinner we finally got to wait in line for Mainstage. We passed the time by playing games and singing from the top of our lungs with other churches from the PNW. One hour later we were able to rush into the stadium and stake out our seats. We got the very front rows!! The music lead by the Chic Band was incredibly uplifting, along with the speaker Ben Stuart who shared his message on how Jesus is a warrior and that even though we may fall and evil tries to grow within us, God will always take us back and continue to let us grow in our Faith. 

These last two days at CHIC have been amazing and I can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings!! Please continue to pray for our health as some students have had a difficult time adjusting to the heat here in Tennessee, as well as pray for continuing the great weather we have had! 

Thanks for all your constant prayer and support!

-Hannah Hren

Tennessee Bound

Well we made it all safe and sound. We even have Russ Jones Josette Esperanza Lake Jennie Connelie Thomas Connelie and Ted Stephens surprised us group for a few days! I can't wait to see and hear what God does with these 47 this week! Pray for us this week!

 

Seth Cranefield

Growing up in a Christian home, I’ve been going to church for as long as I can remember. It’s pretty much a second home to me. My family started coming to Kent Covenant when I was 7 years old. I made friends pretty fast and hung out with Ruby a lot. She kept telling me about Middle School and High School ministries and I was super excited to go.

          In the summer before 5^th grade I went to Cascades camp for a week. It was my first time going to a weeklong Christian camp. I had a blast! I went with one of my best friends and made another friend while I was there. Both of them are still my best friends, today. I learned a lot at that camp and I think I got a lot closer to God there. It was the beginning of my real Christian life where I brought him into my heart. It was a pretty special week.

          When I finally hit 6^th grade I was able to go to Ignite and Primetime youth groups. I loved it there. I was accepted and included in everything. Everyone was friendly and generous. The next year I went into HRL (Hard Rock Leadership) and was able to help plan some of the events we had. I also started learning how to run the sound equipment and was able to run it for TOV and the Elementary kids. Later that year I got help out running sound at VBS and help kids learn about God and it was pretty cool. I’ve worked sound as often as I could ever since.

          I started going to a camp that my Dad worked at as a student called Soundview. I started to get to know everyone and made some very close friends there. It’s one of my favorite places to be. I also went to H2O and learned a lot about God and had a great time with friends. I can’t wait to go to both places again this summer.

          I think Youth Group is a great place for teens to go. It’s safe, fun and you get to learn a lot about God. I made my bestest friends, Garrett Stockman, Ashlin Dalton, and Sydney Hawley, here and they are family to me. Making great friends is important to teenager’s social life and Youth Group is the best place to do make friends. I am friends with everyone there and everybody is friendly. I can trust all of my leaders. You learn so much there, too. You learn how to respect people and be kind. You learn what is good to do and what’s not right according to the people and your health. You learn to set limits on distraction and try to go farther in your faith. It has taught me a lot about life.

Youth Group is so much fun and I encourage everyone to try it out for a week or two. If you already go, come join the leadership and invite more friends. Kent Covenant Church is my second home. It has definitely impacted my life and made me a better person.

           

A great place to serve

How can I help?

Student Ministries has many needs... let us know what your talents are and how you are willing to help.

We are looking for male leaders for High School Hard Rock on Wednesday nights, Middle School Primetime on Thursday nights and TOV on Sunday mornings. We also are in need of a female leader for Wednesday nights as well.

Show the Love is coming up and we need help with things like data entry, procurement phone calls and help with prep on the day before. Of course donations for the event or your presences are greatly appreciated too.

We have lots of little handyman like projects that need some attention too.

Other ways you can help is to donate snacks for our programming, volunteer to drive students. open your home for hangout space, or sign up for kitchen clean up in the Student Center.

Thank you for your investment in Student Ministries. Please contact Ruby A. Varghese

Associate Pastor to Student Ministries ruby.varghese@kentcov.org or Amanda Krohn

Interim Middle School Ministries Director amanda.krohn@kentcov.org if you can help.

CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/115246200 ( Paul Cranefield- videographer, Kathy and Scott Jones- Actors)

Amanda Krohn

Prayer

Tonight our students led a prayer service for the church. We had about 42 people in attendance.

We kicked off our time with a reading and prayer led by Austin Freeman. He reminded us that we are called to be consistent in our prayer time because God cares and wants to hear from us. The Lord's prayer is a great model for us to give praise to the Father, a reminder of his love and forgiveness for us and others, a call to ask God for the things we need.

Take a moment to read the below:

Teaching about Prayer

11 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 Jesus said,“This is how you should pray:[a]

“Father, may your name be kept holy.
    May your Kingdom come soon.
3 Give us each day the food we need,[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.[c]”

5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story:“Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.[d]

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “You fathers—if your children ask[e]for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Evan and Lindsey led worship and helped us prepare our hearts and minds to listen to God. We had each participant  go through 4 stations on : Ourselves, Our Community, Our City, and Our World. We encourage you to come out next Wednesday to pray with the church again. If not, take time on your own to pray through these four areas.

MUD RETREAT 2015

 MUD  RETREAT 2015 

This weekend was our annual MUD retreat at Cascades Camp and Conference Center in Yelm, WA. We took 23 leaders and students on our winter retreat. The theme of this year's MUD was "Light". Carlos Devita, North Park University, and our PNW youth pastors/camp led an amazing time of worship, games, prayer stations, group discussions, zombie vs. humans/pig's flying  games, and lots more great opportunities to dive deep into relationships with one another and with God. Every student and leader from our group walked away with a deep sense of God's love and his call to be light to the world. Carlos, the camp speaker challenged our
students that we were not born to seek things that are better in our lives,
but aim for what's bigger. Our goal as a comunity is to seek ways that we can bring honor and build the kingdom of Christ .MUD happened to fall on the same wknd as MLK's bday- MLK's life is a great example of this  goal to be a part of something bigger. He is a greater reminder that we can't be silent and need to seek justice for those around us. This is what it means to have a heart truly after God's!

This was a prayer we recited every day- it came from CHIC several years ago.

Chaplain of NPU, Judy Howard Peterson shared this as a benediction:

May you jump into the arms of Jesus
May He push you out into the world
May you be healed as you participate in the healing of others
Not because you must but because you may
THIS IS WHY YOU WERE BORN.- JHP

This is my prayer for every student and leader who attended MUD!
I believe every students that went to MUD- walked away a new person.
God laid on all of our hearts a deeper conviction about where we are in our faith, where we need to go, and what should  be in place to get there. I hope anyone reading this blog will be encouraged to pray, encouraged themselves to aim towards what's bigger, and get involved in student's lives. May we strive towards what is  Bigger- that which is Christ,  and for Christ!