Plugged in Parents Newsletter (August 2013)

7/27/2019 Plugged in Parents Newsletter (August 2013)

1/8

A publication of IBC Student Ministry.

www.ibclrstudents.org 2013

Just for You!OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OUR CHURCH WILL OFFER MULTIPLEOPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS TO BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO MAKE

MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES OF THOSE IN YOUR HOME. IF YOU WONDERIF YOU ARE TRULYMAKING DISCIPLES OR IS IT REALLY WORTH IT,

JOIN US FOR THE BE AND BUILD DISCIPLESHIP CONFERENCE ONAUGUST 24. DR. RICHARD ROSS (FOUNDER OF TRUE LOVE WAITS

AND PARENT MINISTRY VISIONARY) WILL BE WITH US ONSEPTEMBER 8 FOR THE TURNING HEARTS PARENT CONFERENCE

DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL AND HIGHPOINT. FOLLOWING HIGHPOINT,HE WILL LEAD ONE OF THE MOST MOVING EXPERIENCES--A KNEE TO

KNEE CONVERSATION. PARENTS AND THEIR TEENS ARE STRONGLYENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THIS LUNCHEON. THIS IS ONLY THE

BEGINNING OF OUR CHURCH BETTER EQUIPPING YOU!

August Issue

THIS MONTH

YOUTH EVANGELISMCONFERENCE (8/9-10)

STUDENT WORSHIP STARTS (8/14)

PROMOTION SUNDAY (8/18)

BE AND BUILD DISCIPLESHIPCONFERENCE (8/24)

COMING SOON

THE GATHERING |

INTERGENERATIONAL WORSHIP(9/4)

TURNING HEARTS PARENTCONFERENCE AND LUNCHEON W/DR. RICHARD ROSS (9/8)

VOLUNTEERSPOTLIGHT

JEFF THOMAS

ENGAGEWHERES THE FRUIT?

EQUIPBEING AVAILABLE FORYOUR TEEN

EMPOWERMARKS OF MATURITY

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION TO HELP PARENTS BETTER PLUG INTO THESPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR STUDENT.
http://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://www.richardaross.com/http://www.richardaross.com/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/parents/turning-hearts-conferencehttp://www.richardaross.com/http://www.richardaross.com/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/


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STUDENT MINISTRY STAFF

Matt Hubbard

ead Student Pastor

Melissa Sponer

Girls Ministry Associate

Ross Spigner

Middle School Pastor

Amanda Bea

Ministry Assistant

A publ ication of IBC Student Mini str y.www.ibcl rstudents.org 2013

FAVORITE CANDY:

Shocktarts

FAVORITE HOBBY:

Photography

FAVORITE CANDY:

Gummy Candy

FAVORITE HOBBY:

Photography

FAVORITE CANDY:

Reese Peanut Butter Cu

FAVORITE HOBBY:

Painting

FAVORITE CANDY:Frozen Snickers / Lemonheads

FAVORITE HOBBY:

games from organized sports tostaring contests

My heart as Middle school pastor at Immanuel is to see students in godly relationships with each other. Often times I have said that one of my greatestjoys in life is watching students relationally live out their faith. One aspect of our churchs mission statement is that we would be and build reproducingfollowers of Jesus Christ who connect with one another. It is a sou l satisfying sight to watch students connect.

Over the past summer, the student ministry has taken a variety of students on over night trips. From mission trips to camps, some short others long, instate, out of state, and out of country - all can have out of this world potential for eternal impact. However, for many of us who have been on churchtrips before, when leaving we feel like our lives will be forever changed and impacted. But once daily life routines return, the impact that we thought wereceived can quickly fade. Once the impact has faded, we wonder how to fix this, thus we sign up for the next trip in hopes of a return of impact like theprevious trip. Our lives can feel like a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows and one wonders at the end if trips ever make a lasting difference.

The reason I believe trips make a lasting impact on us is not because of a monumental, cataclysmic moment during the trip that changes us in an instantfor the rest of our lives; but rather, the reason I believe, is that trips like these allow us to connect with one another in disciple making relationships.Our church loves relationships! And we are committed to the process of life change happening in the context of discipling relationships. Jesus with hisdisciples certainly had some monumental moments and memories. The disciples witnessed healings, nature miracles, great teaching, and on and on. Evenstill, witnessing the events alone seemed to fall short of life change for them. Even after 3 years of witnessing Jesus and hearing his teaching they were

still confused of what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus. It was a continual process from week to week for the disciples and it is a continual process forus.

Trips often serve as a starting point for discipling relationships to develop. Gods lasting impact on us may start on a trip, but it only continues as adiscipling relationship if maintained once home. Every weekly program, whether Sundays and Wednesday nights, we strive to connect students with disciplemaking adults and peers who they can relationally walk alongside. The thought occurred to me about all the preparation that goes into over night trips. Prior to leaving we clear our schedules, pack our things, pray, andspiritually direct our focus for the week. Certainly all of these things are good, but understanding that God works through the process of disciplingrelationships, wou ldnt it be fitting to put the same amount of preparation into the week to week investment in the discipling relationship we have here athome.Please do! This redirection of focus allows us to not expect life change to occur over the course of a couple of weeks a year, but allows us to viewchange as a weekly occurrence throughout the year.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHTJEFF THOMAS

MY FAMILY: JUNE (WIFE...MARRIED 28 YEARS...QUITE A TESTAMENT TO HER UNLIMITED PATIENCE) REED (SON...23) MARY CLAIRE (DAUGHTER...18) PAXTON (SON...17) HANK (DOG...3)WHERE I SERVE: I TEACH 8TH GRADE BOYS.I HAVE SERVED FOR: 11 YEARS.MY DREAM VACATION DESTINATION IS: ANYWHERE WHERE THE WEATHER IS WARM, A N ICE BEACH AND CLEAN, CLEAR WATER.MY FAVORITE SNACK FOOD IS: FRITOS AND FRENCH FRIES. IF I COULD ONLY QUIT EATING THEM...MY FAVORITE BIBLE STORY IS: THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON. I BELIEVE IT IS A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE HERE ON EARTH--GIVING INTO DESIRES OF OUR SIN NATURE, EXPERIENCING HUMILIATION, ISOLATION AND EMPTINESS, AND THE HUMBLING EXPERIENCE OF SEEKING FORGIVENESS AND RECEIVING REDEMPTION FROM A GRACIOUS, LOVING FATHER.MOST PEOPLE DONT KNOW THIS ABOUT ME: I SECRETLY DESIRE TO TEACH ENGLISH LITERATURE.

ONTHEWEB

PLUGGEDIN

HEARTCoNNEX

INPRINT

ThinkOrangebyReggieJoine

r

ApParentPrivilege

byDR.SteveWright

ThreeHugeMistak

esWeMakeLeadin

gKidsandHowTo

CorrectThem(FREE

E-Book)byDR.Tim

Elmore
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ily-devotionshttp://www.lifeway.com/Article/heart-connex-family-devotionshttp://www.lifeway.com/Article/heart-connex-family-devotionshttp://www.lifeway.com/Article/heart-connex-family-devotionshttp://www.lifeway.com/Article/heart-connex-family-devotionshttp://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.pluggedin.com/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/


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SEPTEMBER 4 THE GATHERING | INTERGENERATIONAL WORSHIPSEPTEMBER 8 PARENT CONFERENCE AND KNEE-TO-KNEE LUNCHEON WITH

RICHARD ROSSOCTOBER 11-13 MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL FALL RETR EAT

(@SHEPHERD OF THE OZARKS)OCTOBER 27 FRIEND DAYJANUARY 17-19 DNOW

1 2 3

Travelers Ga

and Colto

Dixon Conc

Student Share

Service

6:00 PM

5 6 7 8 9

YEC

Youth

Evangelism

Conference

10

YEC

Youth

Evangelis

Conferen

12 13 14

Kickoff

The Spot

MS (5:45-7:15)

HS (6:15-8:00)

15 16 17

Promotion

Sunday 19 20 21

Student

Worship

MS (5:45-7:15)

HS (6:15-8:00)

22 23 24

Be and Bu

DiscipleshConferen

26 27 28

Student

Worship

MS (5:45-7:15)

HS (6:15-8:00)

29 30

2013 /Augus
http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://ibclrstudents.org/%23/welcome/the-gatheringhttp://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/


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ENGAGE

WHERES THE FRUIT?A Story from 9th-10th Grade GO Trip

to Toronto, Canada.

One of the greatest joys that I get toexperience in ministering with studentsis seeing their faces light up or theirhearts melt when someone comes toChristwhen the fruit is ripe andready. Though these experiences areworth their weight in gold, there issomething that brings even more joy tomy heart and equally as much to theFather's heart. When studentsobediently follow the will of Godregardless of the outcomeeven if

they never see the fruitthat truly stirsmy heart and excites me. Our recentGO Trip to Toronto, Canada was filledwith such experiences.

A group of 27, 9th-10th graders andadults, recently ventured to the GreatNorth to help with a new church plant,Fellowship Pickering. We led a kidssports camp in the morning and didsurveying in the community during theafternoon. On the surface this tripincluded ministry activity that is not sodifferent than what we might do here inCentral Arkansas. However, thereceptivity to the Gospel...to thechurch was no where near the same aswhat we experience in the South. Infact, the tag line of this new churchpaints a very accurate picture of thecommunity there inToronto"Fellowship Pickering: Achurch for people who don't go tochurch."

From day one we realized that our taskfor the week was not to reap a harvest,it was to prepare the field(s) and plantthe seed. Only God knows the numberof people who came to know Himduring our time in Toronto. In a youthculture that demands "what's in it forme" it was so incredible to see ourstudents obediently following the willof God with blind faith, not once

asking, wheres the fruit?. They trulyput their "yes" on the table and trustedGod with the consequences of theirobedience, as said by our MissionsPastor Mark Aderholt.

Thank you for praying for our students!God is beginning to stir within ourmidst a group of students, parents,and young adults who will push backthe darkness not just on short termtrips, but with the entirety of their lives.This can and will only come about withthe continual prayers of folks like you.Thank you!

By Matt Hubbard, Lead Student Pastor

EQUIP

(NOTE: IBC Student Ministry does notnecessarily endorse the content andviewpoints expressed in these articles.Theyare posted here for purposes of keeping yoinformed as to what is happening in the wo

of youth culture.)

BEING AVAILABLE FOR YOUR

TEENhttp://www.focusonthefamily.comparenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspx

Do you spend too much time awayfrom home? When you're there, areyou available physically andemotionally? Or are you wrapped up television, moonlighting or restoring aold Corvette?

If you're there when the kids get homfrom school, do they have a listeningcaring parent to talk with? Or do theyhave to stand in the kitchen, shiftingfrom foot to foot, hoping you'll get offthe phone?

If you get home later, do you pushaside attempts at closeness, your fac

and body language like an electrifiedfence? Do you mumble a hello to youkids and demand they give arespectful, clear response? If your teehas a concert at school, do you beg obecause you're too tired?

If so, it's not surprising. Parenting ateen not to mention keeping up withe bills is exhausting work. Justwhen you thought your kids wouldneed less from you, you find they neemore.

And time is what they need most.Quality and quantity time.

Parents Who Come Home

Coming home can be hard. It requiresacrifice. I have a friend who's amajor-league surgeon. He came to mafter realizing he was losing touch wi


http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspxhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/tips-for-parenting-teens/being-available-for-your-teen.aspx


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his teens. He could see them frozen inthe distance, almost like Tevye inFiddler on the Roof.

I suggested he come home. He lookedat me, his face etched with despair.

"But I can't." I knew what he meant.His skills were in constant demand atall hours of the day and night.

So I challenged him with what I hopedwould be a reasonable goal. "Try togive 10 percent of each day to yourkids. Just 10 percent."

He did. To his astonishment, his teensbegan to respond. What he thoughthe'd lost forever, he regained whenhe gave only 10 percent of his time.

I'd tried this principle at home, too.After pouring myself into my job everyday and coming home with a chip onmy shoulder and looking for a softplace to lie down, I had nothing left togive my kids. One day I slitheredhome, anxious to do nothing, when athought floated into my head: Save 10

percent.

That sounded reasonable, doable. So Iset myself a goal of reserving 10

percent of my energy for my children.My new top calling was to be a dad.

I used that 10 percent with my teens shooting hoops, running passpatterns, and listening to a squawkingsaxophone. In their hearts they knew Ithought they were special, that I valuedthem.

A Time to Mend

I'm not the only one who thinks it'sworth it to sacrifice your time duringthe few years your teen has left athome. Listen to this girl's story:

"My mom drove us to and from schoolevery day. That meant at least an houra day in the car. It was so greatbecause, being the incredibly wisewoman that she is, my mom wouldlisten to what was going on. Then she

would offer her best advice for aproblem. This way, we all learned totrust my mom, and we weren't everafraid to tell her about something thathad happened. My mom has alwaysencouraged us to talk to her because

she knows that we're not perfect andwe're going to screw up sometimes.She's extremely good at waiting untilwe're ready to tell her what's on ourminds, and she just listens and thengives us advice or takes action if it'sneeded."

It takes time to be that kind of mentorto your teen. Here's how one parentput it: "Whenever there was a choicebetween being with the kids and doingsomething else, the best choice was

being with them."

Want to see a change in your teen'sbehavior? Make the first move bycoming home.

Taken from Sticking With Your Teen,published by Tyndale House Publishers,Inc. Copyright 2006 by Joe White. Allrights reserved.

EMPOWER

MARKS OF MATURITYHTTP://GROWINGLEADERS.COM/BLOG/MARKS-OF-MATURITY/

You may have noticed a paradox thatexists among students today. Althoughthere are exceptions to the rule, thisgeneration of kids is advancedintellectually, but behind emotionally.They are missing many of the marks ofmaturity they should possess.

From an intellectual perspective,students today have been exposed to so

much more than I was growing upandfar sooner, too. Theyve consumedinformation on everything fromcyberspace to sexual techniques beforethey graduate from Middle School.Everything is coming at them sooner.Sociology professor Tony Campolo said,I am convinced we dont live in ageneration of bad kids. We live in a

generation of kids who know too muchtoo soon.

On the other hand, students have beenstunted in their emotional maturity. Theseem to require more time to actuallygrow up and prepare for the

responsibility that comes with adulthooThis is a result of many factors, not theleast of which is well-intentioned parenwho hover over their kids not allowingthem to experience the pain ofmaturation. Its like the child who tries thelp the new butterfly break out of thecocoon, and realizes later that they havdone a disservice to that butterfly. Thebutterfly is not strong enough to fly oncit is free.

There is another reason, however, thatteens struggle with maturation. Scientis

are gaining new insights into remarkablchanges in teenagers brains that mayexplain why the teen years are so hardon young people and their parents. Froages 11-14, kids lose some of theconnections between cells in the part otheir brain that enables them to thinkclearly and make good decisions.

Pruning the BrainWhat happens is that the brain is pruniitselfgoing through changes that willallow a young person to move into adulife effectively. Ineffective or weak brai

connections are pruned in much thesame way a gardener would prune a treor bush, giving the plant a desiredshape, says Alison Gopnik, Professor Child Development at UC Berkley.Adolescents who are experiencing thesbrain changes can react emotionally,according to Ian Campbell, a neurologiat the U.C. Davis Sleep ResearchLaboratory. Mood swings, uncooperativand irresponsible attitudes can all be thresult of these changes occurring.Sometimes, students cant explain whythey feel the way they do. Their brain is

changing from a child brain to an adultbrain. Regions that specialize inlanguage, for example, grow rapidly unabout age 13 and then stop. The frontalobes of the brain which are responsiblfor high level reasoning and decisionmaking arent fully mature until the early20s, according to Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, a neuroscientist at Harvards BraImaging Center. Theres a portion of tim


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when the child part of the brain has beenpruned, but the adult portion is not fullyformed. They are in-between. They areinformed but not prepared.

The bottom line? Students today areconsuming information they arent

completely ready to handle. The adultpart of their brain is still forming and isntready to apply all that our society throwsat it. Their mind takes it in and files it, buttheir will and emotions are not preparedto act on it in a healthy way. They canbecome paralyzed by all the content theyconsume. They want so much to be ableto experience the world theyve seen onwebsites or heard on podcasts, but dont

realize they are unprepared for thatexperience emotionally. They are truly inbetween a child and an adult. (This is thegenius behind movie ratings and viewerdiscretion advisories on TV). I believe ahealthy, mature student is one who hasdeveloped intellectually, volitionally,emotionally and spiritually. I also believe

there are marks we can look for, as wecoach them into maturity.

Signs to Look ForSo what are the marks of maturity? Weall love it when we see a young personwho carries themselves well and showssigns of being mature. They interact withadults in an adult manner. Those kinds ofstudents are downright refreshing. Let

me give you a list of what I consider tobe the marks of maturity. At GrowingLeaders we seek to build these marks inyoung people, ages 16-24 as we partnerwith schools. This certainly isnt anexhaustive list, but it is a list ofcharacteristics I notice in young people

who are unusually mature, intellectually,emotionally and spiritually. If you are aparentthis is a good list of qualities tobegin developing in your child. If you area coach, or a teacher or a dean, theseare the signs we wish every studentpossessed when they graduate. For thatmatter, these are signs I wish every adultmodeled for the generation comingbehind them.

1. A mature person is able to keeplong-term commitments.One key signal of maturity is the ability todelay gratification. Part of this means astudent is able to keep commitmentseven when they are no longer new ornovel. They can commit to continuedoing what is right even when they dont

feel like it.

2. A mature person isunshaken byflattery or criticism.As people mature, they sooner or laterunderstand that nothing is as good as itseems and nothing is as bad as it seems.Mature people can receive complimentsor criticism without letting it ruin them orsway them into a distorted view of

themselves. They are secure in theiridentity.

3. A mature personpossesses a spirof humility.

Humility parallels maturity. Humility isnthinking less of yourself. It is thinking of

yourself less. Mature people arentconsumed with drawing attention tothemselves. They see how others havecontributed to their success and caneven sincerely give honor to their Creatwho gave them the talent. This is theopposite of arrogance.

4. A mature persons decisions arebased on character not feelings.

Mature peoplestudents or adultslivby values. They have principles thatguide their decisions. They are able toprogress beyond merely reacting to life

options, and be proactive as they livetheir life. Their character is master overtheir emotions.

5. A mature person expressesgratitude consistently.I have found the more I mature, the mograteful I am, for both big and littlethings. Immature children presume theydeserve everything good that happens them. Mature people see the big picturand realize how good they have it,compared to most of the worldspopulation.

6. A mature person knows how toprioritize others before themselves.A wise man once said: A mature personis one whose agenda revolves aroundothers, not self. Certainly this can go toan extreme and be unhealthy, but Ibelieve a pathway out of childishness isgetting past your own desires andbeginning to live to meet the needs ofothers less fortunate.

7. A mature person seeks wisdombefore acting.Finally, a mature person is teachable.They dont presume they have all theanswers. The wiser they get the morethey realize they need more wisdom.Theyre not ashamed of seeking counsefrom adults (teachers, parents, coachesor from God, in prayer. Only the wiseseek wisdom.By Dr. Tim Elmore, Founder/President ofGrowing Leaders


http://growingleaders.com/http://growingleaders.com/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://www.ibclrstudents.org/http://growingleaders.com/http://growingleaders.com/http://growingleaders.com/http://growingleaders.com/


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Plugged in Parents Newsletter (August 2013)

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Transcript of Plugged in Parents Newsletter (August 2013)