Sunday Morning Lessons

I find it challenging to address the needs of both high school and middle school students. This coming Sunday is the last installment regarding habits or addictions students use to cover-up the emptiness in their lives. I wanted to address this by highlighting how busy students are--too busy to hear God's voice. So i challenged them to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n. Next I targeted snap-judgments--students need to take a long and honest look at his or her life before putting down others. This week I am torn what to target--either where to find genuine guidance in life or putting God first is the missing detail in many stuents' lives. So I will ask God for help in targeting one or the other. I pray to discern His guidance by tomorrow.

I will need some help with either option. I wonder if you could comment if you are available this week to help out. Thanks.

Pastor D

Sunday Morning Lesson

High School 11:00Am

The main focus for high school students was to take a long and honest look at yourself before you put down others. One of the big hurdles for non-Christians is your hypocrisy. Students pointed out how non-Christians describe your actions as Christians as judgemental and full of hypocrisy. A lot of people have critical views of others while you never see your own problems. I played a humorous parable in a film clip called Food Fight. It was shot in two days and $60 was spent on food. They spit out much of the food they used. But it was all to make the point that Jesus was trying to make to his disciples--you can be critical of others but blind to your own shortcomings.

In fact the non-Christian world often uses this passage to improperly imply that Christians are violating your own standards if you weigh in on the actions and behaviors of others. You have to make time to think what your response will be. I wanted students to wrestle with this challenge. Mike Eddington distributed situations to discuss in smaller groups. I asked it it would be wrong to "judge" the actions or behavior of the person described on it; e.g. a christian who gets drunk at a party, a parent who abandons his or her family to have an affair, a person who drugs and rapes a girl at a party, etc. Students responded along a whole spectrum of choices from hard-core judgment to calls for mercy, understanding, and sympathy.

At the close I wanted to challenge students to consider their own hearts and desires when it comes to being critical of others and when it comes to your own weaknesses. God's truth challenges us to judge rightly. You must begin with yourself first and then others. Putdowns are commonplace. You can make a difference with the Bible as your guide. My prayer is that you will have an experience to share God's truth in a real way. I wonder if you'd like to share what God is doing in your life.

Pastor D

Sunday Morning Lessons

April 15 Dealing with hypocrisy

Middle School 9:30 AM

The main theme for middle school students was to think before you judge. When you can't see clearly you tend to make a mess of things. Students tried discerning what the difference was in some pictures shown on the screen. The boys and girls tied at six points each. So for the tie-breaker, I blindfolded students to see who could draw the most accurate smiley face. The girls barely won. It is so easy to be critical of others but not see your own mess-ups in the same area. Matthew 7:1-5 challenges everyone to be wary of a critical spirit because it has a way of boomeranging. You need to see clearly your own faults before you point out the faults of others.

Pastor D

Student Discipleship Structure

This three-week experiment targeting small groups for all students will begin Sunday, April 22. The groups will be open to new students at any time. We will meet at Northwest Chapel at 6:30pm until 7:45pm. At then end of this experiment, we will evaluate the program and consider if this is how we want small groups at all in Northwest Chapel Student Ministries.

Each small group has anywhere from 4-10 students in the group with an adult discipleship facilitator and co-facilitator (if available). We will group students according to the following criteria:

1. Grade: Middle school will meet separate from High School.
2. Middle School: If enough facilitators are available, we will gather sixth graders in one group from the seventh & eighth graders.
3. High School: If enough faciliators are available, we will gather upperclassmen in one group and underclassmen in another group.

I understand that these groupings may not be an easy transition. Egos, insecurities, poor communication skills, and personality conflicts abound to plague our efforts to connect students into the beginnings of meaningful relationships. So I discerned these objective groupings for this three-week experiment.

To facilitate relationships I propose small groups (2-4 students per adult). It will be my job to monitor this RUTHLESSLY because students and maybe some facilitators will not want to gather into two new groups when the group grows to 8 students. When one group reaches 8 students, then we will spawn a new group with another adult facilitator. If we can have a co-facilitators who will be ready to start a new group, the students and the adult facilitator can already have some relational connection.

I will add to this blog what I think about what you as a faciliator should eventually know, do, and become during this experimental session. Thanks.

Pastor D

New Discipleship Format

For the Bread Series the basic small group structure will be one where we have a large group time of singing and teaching followed by small groups according to grade levels (middle school & high school).

Basic outline for Sunday evening discipleship:

1. Gather all students together (Middle School & High School) for welcome & worship
2. Teaching Time in large group (Opening activity, set-up, teaching & response)
3. Small Group Time (dig in & making it real)
4. Spend time in prayer for the students. Ask for and record prayer requests to keep track of over the course of this 3-week session.

Return to my blog to discover more helpful items and tips for small group time and this discipleship segment.

Contact me to send you via e-mail the series outline, it's about 12 pages total in Word-format.

Thanks.

Pastor D

Sunday Evening Discipleship

Schedule

April 22, Bread Series #1
April 29, Bread Series #2
May 6, Bread Series #3
May 13, No Discipleship Mother’s Day
May 20 AWANA Jamboree Service Project
May 29 Memorial Day

Invite a friend to church

Came across this funny clip from YouTube entitled "Baptism by the Water Cooler." After viewing it, consider what it would take to invite your friend(s) to church. It may not be as dramatic. But people matter to God. Take a step of courage and ask.

pastor d

Note: Use of a YouTube clip does not endorse everything on YouTube.

Easter Service for Students

For a lot of students in our church, the story of Jesus' resurrection is very familiar. A student could become jaded, or dull to its impact and importance. Students may encounter those who object to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead by offering theories to try to explain away the resurrection. I intend to renew each student's appreciation for the miraculous nature of Christ's resurrection this Sunday morning. I will need several students or adults to help me do some readings this Sunday morning. So come ready to engage and to respond to the reality of Christ's resurrection. Invite a friend.

NOTE: Middle school students gather at 9:45am this Sunday. High School students will gather at 11am.

Pastor d