9-16-23 This Week in Faith

For Kids in September/ October

• Faith Fall Festival [October 1 from 5-7PM at Faith] Bring your family for a great night of food, carnival games, inflatables and more. It’s also a great time to invite a family that doesn’t usually come to church. Grab a postcard this Sunday to invite someone.

• Sunday School EVERY Sunday Sunday school has gotten off to a great start this fall. There are classes for ages 4 years old and up. Join us over the next few weeks as we study John the Baptist [9/10], the Baptism of Jesus [9/17], and the temptation of Jesus [9/24].

• Children’s Church [8:30AM Service] Children’s Church is available during the 8:30 worship service. [Nursery is available all Sunday morning long]

* We also have a Children’s Bulletin that is ideal for 3rd-5th graders. It incorporates the worship bulletin but helps kids track through the service, stay engaged, and worship more fully with us. Look for it on the way into the sanctuary with the other bulletins.

For Students in September/ October

• Faith Fall Festival [October 1 from 5-7PM at Faith] This is a fun night for all ages and a great opportunity for students to serve. CLICK HERE to sign up to help for an hour.

• Middle and High School Weekly Meetings Middle [Wednesday nights at 6PM] and high [Sunday nights at 6PM] school students are studying Old Testament prophets this semester. Right now we are going through the book of Malachi. It’s been an interesting challenge and great to learn from a more unfamiliar part of the Bible. We also do games, snacks, small groups.

• Sunday School [10:00AM-10:45AM] Students who are not already serving can join us in the Student Ministry Room. This week we will hear from a Faith supported missionary to Thailand who is currently in town on a visit [adults are welcome to join us!].

For Parents in September/ October

• Parent Book Clubs We are reading 2 books this semester- Parenting and Age of Opportunity, both by Paul Tripp. We will meet THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, September 20 from 6-8PM to talk about Parenting. You don’t have to have the whole book read to come and be a part of the discussion.

• Faith Fall Festival [October 1 from 5-7PM at Faith] Bring your family for a great night of food, carnival games, inflatables and more. It’s also a great time to invite a family that doesn’t usually come to church. Grab a postcard this Sunday to invite someone.

• Faith Fall Retreat [October 13-15] CLICK HERE to register.

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If Satan Wrote a Book on Parenting

In the spirit of CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, this article addresses many of the joys and challenges that we face as parents in a creative way. It’s a helpful way to think about the many wrong and competing messages we get about parenting on a regular basis.

Click here to read the article from Tim Challies.

Parenting Through the Seasons: He Will Hold Me Fast

There are some simple truths in this article that are much harder for us to remember, at least for me, then they should be. When fear, worry, and a lack of control over our kids grip us, we can rest in the truths of the song we sing at Faith- He Will Hold Me Fast. Read here about how we can apply the good, gospel truths of this song to our everyday parenting.

Click here to read tea article by Dawson Cooper.

5 Lessons for Young Families from a New Empty Nester

Having just sent our first kid off to college, I have been thinking about a number of the things on this list as well. I like what he says about investing in our kids with our long-term relationship with them in mind. And I also like what he says about helping your kids thrive somewhere between the achievement trap and laziness. This is a short article with some great things to think about.

Click here to read the article by Thomas Kidd.

PODCAST: The Toxic War on Masculinity

This is an interesting interview that covers a lot of ground in thinking about Biblical masculinity and how we can give our sons a healthy view of what it means to be a man.

Click here to listen to the interview with Nancy Pearcey.

VIDEO: How To: Reduce Screen Time for Your Children

This 10 minute video has a lot of great, practical ideas for helping you guide your younger kids towards less screen time. What I like about so many of her ideas is its giving them fun, creative alternatives that incorporate the characters and themes they love most from their screens.

Click here to watch the video from Little Learners.

9-8-23 This Week in Faith

For Kids in September/ October

• Faith Fall Festival [October 1 from 5-7PM at Faith] Bring your family for a great night of food, carnival games, inflatables and more. It’s also a great time to invite a family that doesn’t usually come to church. Grab a postcard this Sunday to invite someone.

• Sunday School EVERY Sunday Sunday school has gotten off to a great start this fall. There are classes for ages 4 years old and up. Join us over the next few weeks as we study John the Baptist [9/10], the Baptism of Jesus [9/17], and the temptation of Jesus [9/24].

• Children’s Church [8:30AM Service] Children’s Church is available during the 8:30 worship service. [Nursery is available all Sunday morning long]

* We also have a Children’s Bulletin that is ideal for 3rd-5th graders. It incorporates the worship bulletin but helps kids track through the service, stay engaged, and worship more fully with us. Look for it on the way into the sanctuary with the other bulletins.

For Students in September/ October

• Faith Fall Festival [October 1 from 5-7PM at Faith] This is a fun night for all ages and a great opportunity for students to serve. CLICK HERE to sign up to help for an hour.

• Middle and High School Weekly Meetings Middle [Wednesday nights at 6PM] and high [Sunday nights at 6PM] school students are studying Old Testament prophets this semester. Right now we are going through the book of Malachi. It’s been an interesting challenge and great to learn from a more unfamiliar part of the Bible. We also do games, snacks, small groups. This Sunday night we’ll go to Cookout after.

• Sunday School [10:00AM-10:45AM] Students who are not already serving can join us in the Student Ministry Room as we work through the New City Catechism.

For Parents in September/ October

• Parent Book Clubs We are reading 2 books this semester- Parenting and Age of Opportunity, both by Paul Tripp. We will meet September 20 from 6-8PM to talk about Parenting. You don’t have to have the whole book read to come and be a part of the discussion.

• Faith Fall Festival [October 1 from 5-7PM at Faith] Bring your family for a great night of food, carnival games, inflatables and more. It’s also a great time to invite a family that doesn’t usually come to church. Grab a postcard this Sunday to invite someone.

• Faith Fall Retreat [October 13-15] CLICK HERE to register.

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**Sorry about the summer break from the blog but we should be back at it each week for the school year!**

Men of Fidelity

“Perhaps it’s better to think of a man’s vows not as a shackle but as an anchor, an anchor that attaches him to something solid so he does not drift off into callow dissolution.”

We live in a time and place where there is a genuine struggle to understand what it means to be a man, and to truly live that out. This article uses commitment to the ones we love as a defining characteristic. And I agree that, although it seems boring at times, faithfulness is one of the ways we reflect the character of our heavenly Father. There’s a lot I could say about this, but I’d rather you read the article because it is a beautiful and insightful picture into what we should aspire to as husbands and fathers, and what we can do to paint a picture of manhood for the next generation.

Click here to read the article by Alexi Sargeant.

A Back to School Prayer

There are so many times when we feel helpless as parents. There is so much we want for our kids but we have no ability to produce it in them. This is why our hope is in Jesus and our greatest asset is prayer. Here is a sheet you can keep handy- print it out or save it to your phone- with short prayers we can offer up for our kids again and again.

Click here to read the article from Melissa Kruger.

5 Hug Free Ways to Show Love to Your Teen

It can be a challenge to know the best way to love and pursue our teenage boys. They often shy away from physical touch, but they need our affection and investment all the same. I appreciate that this article recognizes there are differences in our kids. And this is a helpful reminder that there are always options for how we can break through the tough exterior of some boys.

Click here to read the article by Bec Cavalot.

Hanging on to Joy When Life Gets Hard

We all go through seasons of pain and challenge and it can be easy to wonder…:”how am I supposed to find joy in this?” Whether it’s a struggling marriage or a challenging child or aging parents or just the disappointments of our expectations and dreams. But there is hope and even joy in the midst of our circumstances, no matter what they are. This is a much needed reminder that Jesus meets us in the midst of whatever we are going through and walks with us towards the plans he has in store for us. He is good and he can be trusted, even when we can’t see what he is doing or why.

Click here to read the article by Josiah Bancroft.

PODCAST: Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?

This is a great podcast where he does a good job of not only addressing some of the common arguments to say the Bible supports same-sex marriage, but he talks about how to have those conversations in a healthy, productive manner- whether its with your kids, a neighbor, or someone else.

Click here to listen to the interview with Preston Sprinkle.

5-26-23 This Week in Faith

For Kids in May/ This Summer

• Sunday School EVERY Sunday This Sunday we begin our summer schedule [9:00AM Sunday school, 10:00AM worship service]. This Sunday we will do an Old Testament wrap up to celebrate finishing our study through the Old Testament [adults will be in the sanctuary for an informational meeting about upcoming building projects for the church]. Next Sunday, June 4, we will begin our family class in the Student Ministry Room on the classic book Pilgrim’s Progress.

• Children’s Church [8:30AM Service and summer service] Children’s Church will be available all summer long during the 10:00AM worship service.

* We also have a Children’s Bulletin that is ideal for 3rd-5th graders. It incorporates the worship bulletin but helps kids track through the service, stay engaged, and worship more fully with us. Look for it on the way into the sanctuary with the other bulletins.

For Students in May/ This Summer

• Summer Small Groups and Calendar Summer small groups will meet on Sundays after worship [11:15AM]. Our first one will be June 4 in the Student Ministry room where students will find out what group they are in and where their group will be meeting. We also have a calendar of events for the summer. You can register online HERE for events. Our first one will be a Braves game on Wednesday June 7.

• Sunday School [9:00AM-9:45AM] Students are invited to be a part of the family Sunday school class in the Student Ministry Room this summer as we study the classic book Pilgrim’s Progress.

For Parents This Summer

• Summer Worship Schedule Beginning May 28, Faith will move to one worship service at 10:00AM until August. There will be Sunday school at 9:00AM.

• This Sunday, at 9:00AM, there will be an informational meeting with Pastor Nathan in the sanctuary about the upcoming building projects and plans.

• Beginning in June, there will be a family Sunday school class for all ages at 9:00AM and we will be studying Pilgrim’s Progress. There will also be a men’s Sunday school class and women’s Sunday school class.

• You should have received some emails about the summer schedule for students. There are also printed calendars on the desk in the foyer at Faith.

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It’s Not Fair

“If we treated all our children exactly the same, life might be easier, but it would not be better or loving to our children.” We have heard the “It’s not fair” claim in our house a thousand times. With 4 kids at very different ages, and even foster kids of different ages in and out of our house, things have looked very different from year to year and with each kid in our house. There are definitely times when I question myself if wha we are doing in the moment is unfair or not towards our kids. So I’m thankful for the reminder in this article that each of our kids is different and we love them best by knowing them and doing what’s best for them individually. I’m grateful that God knows me, loves me, and treats me better than I deserve because of his grace. “It’s not fair” and I’m better for it.

Click here to read the article from Julie Lowe.

From Elementary to High School

Transitions are hard. And the move to the middle school years can be one of the hardest. I have heard many people over the years say that middle school was the hardest/worst part of their lives [including me]. There is so much for these young people to navigate as they begin to discover who they are and decide on faith for themselves. Because of the challenges these years pose, we want to set them up for success and walk with them through it as much as possible. This article has some great thoughts on how to do that. It even explains the reasons for a number of things we do here at Faith. And it helps parents know how to adjust as well. In particular, the idea about continuing the family rhythms was important for me to hear. Our family has definitely drifted into being more apart, even when we are all in the same house, and are trying to make some changes away from that this summer.

Click here to read the article by Nick Judd.

Died: Tim Keller, New York City Pastor who Modeled Winsome Witness

Although I only met him once, I would say Tim Keller is one of the people that has most influenced my faith and the way I think about ministry through his preaching, teaching, writing, and life. I am really thankful for all I’ve learned from him over the years, and have enjoyed reading and listening to the many reflections about him in the wake of his passing from cancer last week. In a day where it seems like well known pastors are regularly exposed for a variety of personal and public failures, Tim Keller finished the race well. I am truly thankful for the impact he has had, and will continue to have, on my faith in Jesus and my joy in sharing him with others. THIS VIDEO is a short tribute as Keller describes the good news of the gospel. While there are many articles about him and his impact out there right now, the article below is a good summary of his life and some of his influence.

Click here to read the article by Daniel Silliman.

VIDEO: Digging Deeper Podcast Interview with Dane Ortlund

Dane Ortlund, author of the book Gentle and Lowly that many of us here at Faith have read, talks in this interview about sanctification and what it looks like to grow closer to Jesus. There’s a lot I appreciate about what he says here so I’d encourage you to listen.

Click here to watch the interview from Jeff Norris and Laura Story Elvington.

5-18-23 This Week in Faith

For Kids in May/ This Summer

• Sunday School EVERY Sunday This Sunday we will wrap up studying the Old Testament and another year of kid’s Sunday school. We will talk about the Temple and Nehemiah. Next week will be our first Sunday with the summer schedule. Kids will do a fun review of the Old Testament. Beginning in June, the family Sunday school will be for all ages as we talk about the classic book, Pilgrim’s Progress.

• Children’s Church [8:30AM Service and summer service] Children’s Church is available during the 8:30AM service. There’s a kids message in both services. 2nd grade and under will be invited to leave for Children’s Church after that in the 8:30AM service. [Children’s church will be available each week in the summer during our 1 worship service at 10:00AM]

* We also have a Children’s Bulletin that is ideal for 3rd-5th graders. It incorporates the worship bulletin but helps kids track through the service, stay engaged, and worship more fully with us. Look for it on the way into the sanctuary with the other bulletins.

For Students in May/ This Summer

• Summer Small Groups and Calendar Summer small groups will meet on Sundays after worship [11:15AM]. Our first one will be June 4 in the Student Ministry room where students will find out what group they are in and where their group will be meeting. We also have a calendar of events for the summer. You can register online HERE for events. Our first one will be a Braves game on Wednesday June 7.

• Wednesday Nights for Middle School [6-8PM] We are done with our regular schedule but will begin the summer schedule in June.

• Sunday Nights for High School [6-8PM] We do not have a formal meeting this Sunday night but for anyone who wants to join us and hang out, we will meet at 6PM at Cookout for dinner.

• Sunday School [9:45AM-10:45AM] This Sunday will be the last class for our middle and high school Sunday school classes. They are invited to join us for the family class studying Pilgrim’s Progress beginning with the summer schedule on May 28.

For Parents This Summer

• Summer Worship Schedule Beginning May 28, Faith will move to one worship service at 10:00AM until August. There will be Sunday school at 9:00AM.

• There will be a family Sunday school class for all ages at 9:00AM and we will be studying Pilgrim’s Progress.

• You should have received some emails about the summer schedule for students. There are also printed calendars on the desk in the foyer at Faith.

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God Delights in You

For al of the challenges of parenting, being a parent also gives us windows into God’s steadfast love for us. The longer I’m a parent, the more it strikes me how much I not only love my kids, but that I really like and enjoy them. And God feels the same about you. As his children, God not only loves us, but he likes us. Enjoys us. I hope this article helps you remember that and that God’s delight in you is what fuels you through the ups and downs of this coming week.

As a side note, I really enjoyed the book, You’re Only Human, that she quotes in the article. I was particularly helped by what he has to say about our relationship to busyness and how being created as a finite creature should help us understand that we need rest because we can’t do it all [even though we often try to].

Click here to read the article by Late d’Entremont.

The Best Parenting Passage in the Entire Bible

“In fact, good, loving, faithful, grace-driven parents only ever grow in the soil of a heart at rest. Jesus’s promises are not so much promises, but reminders of the unshakable identity of every one of his children.” Discipleship is at the heart of parenting. Our job as parents is to point our kids to Jesus and help them know how to walk with him. And as we do, we are forced to trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God to produce in their hearts through grace what we cannot produce in their hearts by force. So our best parenting is done as we do our best to be faithful and then rest in our faithful savior Jesus. My prayer is that, this summer, God would empower you to be faithful in the ways you love your kids and help them see Jesus. And that you would be able to rest in the promises of Jesus as you look to him in hope for your kids.

Click here to read the article by Paul David Tripp.

The Religious Life of Gen Z

This is an interesting look at the religious views of teenagers and 20’s. They are not necessarily less religious. They actually have a lot of interest in spiritual things. But they, on the average, lack trust in traditional religions and would much rather piece together a path towards faith. This information can be really helpful as we think about how to talk to our kids about faith, and how to help them think through talking to their friends about faith. I listened to a really interesting interview this week by Russell Moore who interviewed Rainn Wilson [Dwight Schrute from the The Office] about faith, religion, and spirituality. Wilson has a new book out where he explores faith in general and how it can impact people’s lives for good. He identifies a number of the key struggles in our culture today but his solutions come down to a piecemeal, generic faith that reflects a lot of what this article talks about. Surveys like this never accurately identify everyone in a group, but it helps us know how to connect the truth of the gospel to the needs and longings of the young people we are hoping to believe it.

Click here to read the article by Mike Frost.

VIDEO: All About Boys and the Opposite Sex

This is a short video to help you think through when boys are ready to start dating and how to help prepare them for it. There is a link to a longer talk he did on this subject as well.

Click here to watch the video with David Thomas.

5-5-23 This Week in Faith

For Kids in May

• Children’s Message During the Service We are trying something new on Sunday mornings. When it’s time for the Children's Message, we will invite the kids to come sit up front and listen. We hope it has helped kids focus on the message and set that time apart a little more in their minds.

• Sunday School EVERY Sunday Sundays from 9:45AM-10:45AM [until summer schedule benison May 28] There are classes for 5th grade and under. Check in at the desk in the foyer.

• This month we are talking about: Daniel and the Lions Den [5/7], the Exiles Return [5/14], the Temple and Nehemiah [5/21], and an Old Testament Review [5/28]

• This month are reviewing our Scripture memory and catechisms from the year.

• Children’s Church [8:30AM Service and summer service] Children’s Church is available during the 8:30AM service. There’s a kids message in both services. 2nd grade and under will be invited to leave for Children’s Church after that in the 8:30AM service. [Children’s church will be available each week in the summer during our 1 worship service at 10:00AM]

* We also have a Children’s Bulletin that is ideal for 3rd-5th graders. It incorporates the worship bulletin but helps kids track through the service, stay engaged, and worship more fully with us. Look for it on the way into the sanctuary with the other bulletins.

For Students in May

• Student Ministry Family Cook-out This Sunday night at 6PM we are having an end-of-the-year cook-out for middle & high school students and their families. We’ll eat, hang out, and have a program where we will recognize seniors and leaders, talk about the summer, and hear form a guest speaker.

• Wednesday Nights for Middle School [6-8PM] We will meet on Wednesday nights through May 17. Then we’ll take a break until our summer schedule begins in June.

• Sunday Nights for High School [6-8PM] The cook-out this Sunday night will be the last time we meet until the summer schedule begins in June.

• Sunday School [9:45AM-10:45AM] Our middle school class is continuing to go through Understanding the Faith and our high school class is continuing to walk through the New City Catechism. These will end when our summer schedule begins on May 28. Students can either attend the family class or an adult class over the summer.

• Senior Breakfast Our next senior breakfast is May 14th!

For Parents Coming Soon

• Summer Worship Schedule Beginning May 28, Faith will move to one worship service at 10:00AM until August. There will be Sunday school at 9:00AM.

• Look for the summer Student Ministry schedule this Sunday.

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10 Encouraging Verses for Weary PArents

You may feel like you have this parenting thing down and it is relatively easy. But you might not. For those who are weary from the constant ups and downs of parenting, and for those who are walking through a difficult season right now, I pray these verses would be a reminder of the goodness and kindness of the savior who is there with you in the midst of it all.

Click here to read the article by Trisha Priebe.

Young People, Church Membership Isn’t Optional

As we have been getting ready to send Emily off to college, we have talked a lot about what is most important when she heads out on her own. The most important thing we can do is help her think through how she will grow in her faith in college. And finding a church is vital to this process. But I think the many conversations we have already had over the years about the importance of being a part of a church has made these recent conversations easier. And her involvement in the church over the course of her life has helped too. This article has a good explanation for why it’s important for young people to be actively engaged in the life of a church. Use it to start preparing your kids now for those conversations you will have down the road as you send them out. And if your kid is heading out of the house now, help them think through how to find a church to belong to wherever they are going.

Click here to read the article by Jared Wilson.

Keeping Kids Busy While Limiting Screen Time

As we approach the summer and our kids come home, this is an article with some practical ideas for helping our kids play independently. She also points to places with more ideas.

Click here to read the article by Cassie Baker.

What to Do When Your Teen’s Heart is Breaking

This is a tough one. It’s hard to watch our kids hurting. It’s even harder to not just jump in and try to fix it all. Which is why I really appreciated this article. He has some good suggestions for how to walk with your teenager through heartbreak in a healthy way. And like with so much else, he reminds us again that connection is one of our most important jobs so approaching it from the perspective of how can I connect with my child through this situation gives us a healthy and relationship-building way forward.

Click here to read the article by Justin Coulson.

A Letter to My Daughter about Her Body

We just finished a semester taking about identity, dating, love and sex with high school students. And we just had our Parent Discussion Group on Wednesday talking about these same things. This letter to her unborn daughter sums up so many of the important things we have talked about that we need to communicate to our daughters [much of it applies to our sons as well] about their bodies. I hope this will spark some ideas and conversations as you continue to talk to your kids about this important topic.

Click here to read the article by Katherine Stine.

PODCAST: The Truth About Gen Z- and the Rest of Us

This is a really interesting conversation about the way different generations think and how they are similar/different from each other. I think Jean Twenge is really insightful when it comes to thinking about different generations in general and technology in particular. Here she is talking about the findings in her new book which is helpful for understanding ourselves, our kids, and even our parents better.

Click here to listen to the interview with Jean Twenge.