1-15-21 This Week in Faith
/2021 Mexico Mission Trip- The dates for our trip this year are May 29 - June 5. If you or your family are interested in being a part of the team for this incredible opportunity, EMAIL ME for more info or to sign up.
January Memory for Kids
We have been choosing our memory verses from different CD’s produced by Seeds Family Worship. The music is a great way for kids [and parents] to get Scripture stuck in their heads. Getting God’s Word into the heads and hearts of our kids is one of the most valuable things we can do for them. This year, we are using their CD I Believe. They are also producing an online family devotional for these verses that you can find HERE. If you don’t already do family devotions, this might be a great place to start.
CD’s are in! If you would like an I Believe CD, or a code to download the album for FREE, find me or Stephanie Atkinson this Sunday at church. We’d love to give your family one!
Scripture Memory- Isaiah 61:1
New City Catechism- Question 31 and Question 32
STUDENT MINISTRY SCHEDULE
Student Ministry Small Groups
Join us for our winter series based on the book, My Tech-Wise Life.
Middle School- Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 at Faith [in the Plaza]
High School- Sundays from 6:00-7:30 at Faith [in the Plaza]
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4 Things to Teach Kids About Trusting God through Uncertainty
It can be an empty feeling when our kid asks us a question we can’t answer. Especially when the question is something like, “When will this end?” or “Is everything going to be ok?”. But those moments also provide us with the opportunity to point our kids to Jesus. To assure them that even though we don’t know, we serve a God who does know. 2020 had plenty of unknowns but the reality is we have far less control and understanding than we think in any year. This article reminds us to rest in the wisdom, strength, and goodness of our God- and to help our kids do the same.
Click here to read the article by Carl Laferton.
The Single Word That Saved Me- and My Teens- From Jealousy and Comparison
We have started a series with middle and high school students on the Tech-Wise Life and this week we are talking about comparison. Like so many things, technology and social media have not created the sin of comparison, but they definitely reveal it in us. I think this article gets to the heart of the issue for all of us as we fight against the need to compare ourselves to others- the reminder from Ephesians 2 that we have been “seated” with Christ. The battle against jealousy and comparison is a regular struggle for my heart. The best weapon I have to fight back is the good news of what Jesus has done for me and who I am because of him. I hope this is a good reminder for you like it is for me [and one I’m going to read from for our students this week].
Click here to read the article by Heather Holleman.
The Hidden Grace of Pixar’s Soul
We watched the movie Soul recently and, if I’m honest, it wasn’t my favorite Pixar movie. There are parts of it that are kind of confusing [if you just read the description of the movie in the article you’ll be even more confused so seeing the movie definitely makes it more clear]. And their portrayal of what happens after you die is distracting. But there are some good takeaways from the movie that have stuck with me. This article does a good job of pulling the good stuff out and helping us explain the challenges to our kids, which is different depending on if they are younger or older. If you’ve already watched the movie, or are planning to, this article is a good guide to do that well.
Click here to read the article by Ted Turnau.
The Danger of Students Taking a “Gap” Year from Church
It has been really encouraging to see more college students at church lately. I’m excited about the opportunity we have to disciple and encourage them while they live in town. We have also had some jump into helping with student ministry which has been a great blessing. While you may have heard the statistics before about the number of students who stop attending church after high school, the college students at church remind us this doesn’t have to be the case. And God is giving us the opportunity to be a part of changing those statistics by investing in the lives of students that are here. I hope this article will help you think about ways you might welcome and walk with the college students in our midst so they might know Jesus more.
