9-23-21 This Week in Faith

A couple dates to keep in mind…

Wednesday, Oct. 13 [6:00-7:30PM]- Student Parent Discussion

Sunday, Oct. 24 [5-7PM]- Faith Fall Festival

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Young Man, Young Woman: Set an Example

This is the introduction to an interesting series directed towards young people- teenagers, college students. The series is an encouragement to remember Paul’s words to Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity”. Each subsequent article dives into different areas of what this looks like practically. The series could be a great one to read and talk about with your teenager or college student.

Click here to read the article by Tim Challies.

VIDEO: Raising Men

I just read a book by Jon Tyson called The Intentional Father. It is a description of intense discipleship for fathers with their sons. It is challenging but really good. He outlines what he did with his son and the important things for a father to cover with his sons to prepare them for manhood. I would highly recommend the book in thinking about what you are purposefully, intentionally, doing to help prepare your boys for the life God is calling them to. This video is a good summary of why he wrote the book and why investing in our kids is so important.

Click here to watch the video with Jon Tyson.

MEET OUR LEADERS

I want you to have a chance to get to know some of our leaders in children and student ministry a little bit better. I’ll be posting these regularly over the next few months. Today, meet Kayla Johnson who works with high school students and Emily Brooks who helps lead Children’s Church each week.

Who are you and how are you involved at Faith?

Hey! My name is Kayla Johnson. I’ve been attending Faith since January 2021. I just started serving with student ministry this August. 

What do you enjoy about serving in the church?

I love getting to know the other volunteers and seeing their heart for all the young students at Faith to know Christ. I also love getting to fulfill Hebrews 10:24-25’s call to meet with other believers. 

What are some of your favorite things?

Some of my favorite things to do outside of church are working as a trainer for Athens Chick-fil-a, go indoor rock climbing, play ultimate frisbee, and spend time with friends. My favorite book series is hands-down the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I’ve re-read the series no less than 8 times since middle school. My favorite restaurant is the Farm Cart – they have the tastiest biscuit sandwiches! 

What is a way the gospel makes a difference in your life?

One way the gospel has made a difference in my life is in the way I view my identity. There are a thousand labels I can use to describe myself to try to explain my purpose, significance, value etc. Like, I am one of seven girls; I’m competent at my job; I’m a people pleaser. But all those pale in comparison to the peaceful rest I have in knowing that I am holy, chosen, and beloved simply because of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Rooting my identity in that truth changes the way I go about my work, relationships, failures, successes, etc. I’m so thankful that Jesus has given me a new identity that is more secure because of who He is, not because of what I’ve done!!! 

What is a meaningful Bible passage to you and why?

A meaningful Bible passage for me is Isaiah 43. It sticks out to me in 43:1 that God says to Israel that they are redeemed by him, they are his, and he has called them by name. Later on in verse 4, he calls them precious and honored in his sight and affirms his love for them. He reminds them in verse 5 not to be afraid because he is with them. Because of all that, he wants them to be his witnesses about who he is (verse 12). I rest in that passage when I need to be reminded of God’s steadfastness despite my failings. It encourages me that he never abandoned Israel because of his own character, not due to the merit of their faithfulness. Praise be to God!

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Tell us about you and your family at Faith.

I’m Emily Brooks. My parents are Steven and Kelly. I am the oldest and my siblings are Micah, Carter, and Randy. We have been at Faith for 12 years. 

Where do you serve?

I have helped lead Children’s Church for 5 years.

What do you enjoy about serving in the church?

I love getting to form a genuine relationship with the kids and being able to invest in their lives and watch them grow up because I know how much that meant to me when I was younger. 

What are some of your favorite things to do?

I love working at my farm, spending time watching movies, playing games with my family, and working at Chick-fil-a. 

What’s your favorite book, movie, or song?

My favorite movie is the Blind Side. 

What is your favorite food or restaurant?

My favorite restaurant is Barberitos. 

What is a way the gospel makes a difference in your life?

The gospel has impacted my life by helping me have a constant reminder that there is a plan for my life and even when it may not seem like it, God is doing everything in my life for a reason and with a purpose so I can have hope in His plan. 

What is a meaningful Bible verse to you and why?

My favorite bible verse is John 11:35 which says “Jesus wept”. It is the shortest verse in the Bible and I love this verse because it shows the human side of Jesus. I am able to relate to him here and I know that he relates to me. God is 100% God and also 100% man and this verse helps me feel like He truly understands me in my times of struggle.

9-16-21 This Week in Faith

Prayers for the Worried Parent

Prayer is the best hope we have to win the hearts of our kids. We spend so much time worrying about our kids. We spend so much time trying to fix our kids. We spend so much time telling our kids what we hope to see in them. Prayer is the most effective tool we have to actually see the souls of our kids’ changed, and the hopes we have for them to love Jesus and his church realized. I am too often guilty of working harder to fix my kids than praying for Jesus to capture them with his mercy and grace. Here are a list of prayers, rooted in Scripture, that we can pray for our kids, even- and especially- when we are too weary to do anything else.

Click here to read the article by Anna Meade Harris.

The Best Thing You Can Give Your Kids

“The world leads us to believe that the greatest thing a parent can give their child is a safe and comfortable life with the best of everything. My adolescence taught me that this is not true.”

As parents, we often want to do whatever we can to ensure our kids’ happiness. At the same time, Jesus tells us that true life comes from more than just being happy. It comes from denying ourselves [our happiness at times] for the sake of following him. Challenge, hardship, and suffering are things that often produce what we long to see most in our kids. Among other things, they produce a life that is utterly dependent on Jesus. This story is a poignant reminder of the power parents have to instill faithfulness to Jesus by declaring and displaying what it looks like for us to decrease, so that Jesus can increase.

Click here to read the article by Molly Yeo.

Trauma and God’s Care for Children

Children have incredible value to God. Jesus displayed this over and over again as he welcomed, healed, loved, protected, and considered the children around him, and even held children up as an example. While it’s possible to go too far in centering our lives around our kids, we can’t overestimate the worth they have to God. This is why it grieves God when children are harmed. And it’s why he calls us to protect, love, and advocate for the children around us. This can be hard to remember when we are just frustrated with a child. But have you considered that child may be struggling because of the effects of trauma they have experienced? God’s heart for vulnerable children should shape our heart for them as well. What are we doing to look out for the children around us? And what are we doing to actively pursue help and healing for children of trauma in our community? 

Click here to read the article by Justin and Lindsay Holcomb.

VIDEO: Changing the Identity Conversation

So many of the issues of our day are rooted in a misunderstanding of what it means to be human. This video is a short explanation of why this is the case. And it could be a great place to start in talking to our kids about the importance of the reality that each person is made in the image of God. This informs their understanding of who they are, what to believe, and how they are to treat those around them. This is a short video but he makes a couple of really good points along these lines.

Click here to watch the video with John Stonestreet.

9-10-21 This Week in Faith

ANNOUNCEMENTS

- Pray for Me Ice Cream Social- THIS Sunday @4PM. For families at Faith, this will be a fun time of games, ice cream, and spending time as a church family. There will be a time for K-12th Graders to get to know the partner who is praying for them this school year and for their prayer partner to know them and how best they can pray. 

- Middle and High School This Week- This Sunday and Wednesday night, Philip Weinrich will be teaching on Chapter 3 of 10 Questions Every Teenager Should Ask [and answer] About Christianity. The chapter is called Can Jesus Be True for You but Not for Me? which covers topics like universal truth and relativism.

**This Sunday night is our dinner out night for high school students in September. Students can plan to go eat together at Barberitos on Epps Bridge after small groups and parents can pick them up from there.

- New Blog Feature Coming Next Week!- Make sure to check next week’s blog as we begin to introduce this year’s Children and Student Ministry volunteers through some fun interviews.

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God’s Guidebook for the Defeated Parent

I thought this was an encouraging article to remember that the patience and unrequited love that parenting requires is merely a reminder of the unending grace and love that we receive from our heavenly Father. If we feel weary from parenting, we can find what we need most in our Father above.

Click here to read the article by Sam Bush.

5 Ways to Help Kids Learn to Pray

Helping our kids develop a habit of prayer is so important for them growing to see their need for Jesus and seeing that he is always listening. This article has some great ideas for helping even young kids learn to pray. We have used the picture one a number of times in our house and it helps make who we pray for a little more tangible.

Click here to read the article by Laura Wifler.

Looking Out for Georgia’s Youth: Education Can Make a Difference 

In filling out my paperwork to do mentoring at OCMS this year, I read through this document as a part of the training. In one sense, reporting suspected abuse or neglect of a child is something we hope we never have to do. On the other hand, the love of Jesus compels us to love and defend kids around us who are in dangerous situations and can’t speak for themselves. Many of us have the opportunity to be around kids regularly because of our own kids. This info sheet is really well done in helping us to understand abuse, know what to look for, and to know what to do if we need to report something. I hope you never have to use it but I also hope it will help you be prepared for a situation in which you should.

**As a side note, the schools are still looking for more mentors. It is a great way to invest 30 minutes a week in a kid from our community who is struggling and have a real impact. We have had a number of mentors from Faith over the years. Please let me know if you are interested.

Click here to read the training from the Georgia Department of Education.

How Can I Handle My Anxiety? Chris Morphew on Philippians 4:6-7

This is a great podcast series to point your kids to or even listen as a family. This episode is on anxiety and how God’s word gives us the tools to help us face it. Chris Morphew, who does the devotional, has some great books out for teenagers answering some big questions in a style that’s compelling for teenagers. I just showed his books to students this week and told them they are welcome to borrow one and read it if it’s something they are interested in.

Click here to listen to the episode of the Word on the Go podcast.

8-28-21 This Week in Faith

Announcements:

• Sunday school has begun for 5th grade and under from 9:50AM-10:45AM. You can check kids in at the desk in the foyer.

• Middle and high school students can serve in a kids Sunday school class or attend an adult class with you.

• The End of Summer Retreat for middle and high school students is next weekend! There’s still time to register HERE.

• We still need a few more people willing to pray for students and kids at our church. You can sign up to be a Pray for Me partner HERE.

Practicing Humility at Home

Parenting is hard. And it can be easy to get discouraged that we aren’t enough or aren’t doing enough. God brings us to those places to humble us by showing us that we are not enough, but he is. Acknowledging where we fall short, and genuinely repenting of our sin, is the very thing we need to draw close to Jesus. It’s also gives our kids a beautiful picture of the gospel, and out savior who is at the center of it. If you are weary from parenting, I hope this article can remind you of the good news that brings encouragement, hope, and rest for your soul.

Click here to read the article by Laura Way.

The Neglected Ministry of Asking Questions

This is a hard thing for me sometimes. My instinct is, when I get a chance to talk to my kids, is to try and tell them all the things I want them to know. But there’s so much more to a relationship than that. And asking good questions is one of the ways we get to that deeper level of relationship. Now, this can help us with any person we know, but good questions can really help us get to the heart of what our kids are thinking and feeling. One of my favorite scenes from the first season of the show Ted Lasso is where he talks about the importance of being curious during the game of darts. This article emphasizes the importance of us being curious about those around us- and this especially applies to our kids.

Click here to read the article by Blake Glosson.

Helping Children Build a Healthy Body Image

It’s always shocking to me when I read the statistics of how early kids begin to struggle with body image. And it affects boys and girls. There are so many messages from the world around them that contribute to this. But there are also proactive things we can do to help our kids build confidence in the way God has made them. This article has some god suggestions.

Click here to read the article by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb.

A Habit Called Faith with Jen Pollock Michel

This is a great conversation about forming faith in the hearts of our kids between people with kids of all different ages.

Click here to listen to the podcast episode from Rooted Ministry.

8-13-21 This Week in Faith

I apologize for such a long break on this blog but I’m getting it started back up with the new school year. I want to tell you a couple of things going on for kids and students at Faith this fall and point out one really good article this week.

Ministry Kick-off THIS Sunday- There is 1 service this Sunday [11:00AM] followed by lunch and the ministry kick-off where we will talk about all that’s going on this semester. I hope you’ll make a point to come.

Sunday school Begins August 22- Parents and kids will meet in the sanctuary at 9:45 for a brief parent meeting followed by kids meeting their new Sunday school teachers and heading to their classes. Even if your kids have not participated in SS before, I would encourage you to check it out. This is a great opportunity for your kids to get to build relationships with some adults and older students [see the article below!] while learning about God’s Word and the church.

Pray for Me- We are beginning another year of the Pray for Me campaign where adults and older students pray for younger students and kids. We have 100 Kindergarten-12 graders that we need to match with someone from our church who is willing to commit less than 5 minutes a day to pray. Please consider participating. There will be a chance to sign up at the Ministry Kick-of this Sunday.

Student Ministry Begins!- High schoolers will start this Sunday night and middle schoolers this coming Wednesday at 6PM. We are beginning our fall series based on the book 10 Questions Every Teenager Should Ask [and Answer] about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin. Each student will get a copy of the book to read at home or refer back to at a later date [if your child is not good at sharing, let me know and I can give you your own copy of the book :)]. I would encourage you to use it as a way to engage in these conversations with your kids as well [see the article below!]. Each chapter is a common objection to Christianity in the form of a question. We’ll deal with each of the 10 questions this semester. I will send out notes and questions on what we talk about so you can spend more time talking about it with your kids at home. Our hope is that us talking about these things will make it easier for you as parents to have these conversations with your kids.

Keeping the Faith

Because this is such a good article, it’s the only one I’m going to share this week. I hope you will read it. Christian Smith has done tons of research on what most influences kids and their faith. His overwhelming conclusion is that parents are the biggest influencer in determining whether or not their kids will hold on to a faith of their own in adulthood. Like he says, this can feel like a lot of pressure, but it is also a great encouragement. His research and conclusions are really important for understanding how we can pass our faith on to our kids. And he has lots of suggestions for what we can do.

Click here to read the article by Christian Smith.