DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids

on their social media sites. Consider these social

media guidelines:

1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your

teenagers’ friends.

2. Never comment on their posts.

3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.

Use social media to glean information – not to

process it!

WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’

something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at

a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we

need to be aware of are the messages our students are

absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages

all the time from the world around us. Many students

find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing

happiness or complete­ness comes from the

acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the

subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us

as parents open dialogue and engage in communication

while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to

accomplish this:

1. Regularly connect with your teen about the

messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask

them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve

watched recently, then follow up with questions like

“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions

did that illicit in you?”

2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.

Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind

them how much you want to stay involved in their

lives. Help them understand that having access to

social media accounts and talking about media

messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love­

invasion that you have launched on behalf of the

relationship.

3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie

together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or

questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our

internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.

In all areas, stay connected and ‘in­the­know’ by

keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.

Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is

going in!

By Lars Rood

YOUTHCULTURE

A WORD FROM THEWORD

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound

more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

so that you may be able to discern what is best

and may be pure and blameless for the day of

Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that

comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and

praise of God.

Philippians 1:9­11 (NIV)

A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one

of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.

Their faith journey is very important to me. And I

freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the

new school year. While I want them to be established

in a good school, with sports and other activities, I

want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.

It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point

in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even

myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority

over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the

reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk

simply because they lost opportunity for regular

connection with their church, Christian friends and

youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.

Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and

discern what might be a good fit for your students. I

help my own kids try to figure out what most

connects them with their faith at church. We look at

everything from youth group to children’s choir,

volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions

and then we decide which things will best help their

faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and

then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.

The new reality for many students simply does not

allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or

attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your

teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and

make sure to prioritize those things over everything

else. Coach them to faith success just like you do

educational achievement. It’s the most important

coaching you’ll do all year!

By Lars Rood

MODEL IT

Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms

and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a

never­ending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the

game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.

How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before

meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t

get the faith­thing exactly right?

Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday

worship service.

IN THEIR WORLD

VANCHURCH STUDENT

MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL

Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.

Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.

Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.

Gas ­ Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.

Tires ­ Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.

Oil ­ Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.

THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed

surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it

helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).

Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,

the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about

the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI ­­ It began a rage of getting others into the

picture!)

Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an

underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.

Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches

everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect

photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.

Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment

– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that

don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids

to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost self­worth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.

Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that

perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all ­ photobomb their next selfie!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

31 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

SEPTEMBER 2014

FaithQuest

Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Dear Mom & Dad:

We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This

monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in

communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and

information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.

School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And

everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will

be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities

than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,

what’s better, and what’s best!

Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this

calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the

opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We

love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.

So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us

the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to

make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up

and motivation starts winding down:

Hebrews 12:1­2 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of

witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on

Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!

Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team

DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids

on their social media sites. Consider these social

media guidelines:

1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your

teenagers’ friends.

2. Never comment on their posts.

3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.

Use social media to glean information – not to

process it!

WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’

something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at

a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we

need to be aware of are the messages our students are

absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages

all the time from the world around us. Many students

find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing

happiness or complete­ness comes from the

acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the

subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us

as parents open dialogue and engage in communication

while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to

accomplish this:

1. Regularly connect with your teen about the

messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask

them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve

watched recently, then follow up with questions like

“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions

did that illicit in you?”

2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.

Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind

them how much you want to stay involved in their

lives. Help them understand that having access to

social media accounts and talking about media

messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love­

invasion that you have launched on behalf of the

relationship.

3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie

together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or

questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our

internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.

In all areas, stay connected and ‘in­the­know’ by

keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.

Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is

going in!

By Lars Rood

YOUTHCULTURE

A WORD FROM THEWORD

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound

more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

so that you may be able to discern what is best

and may be pure and blameless for the day of

Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that

comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and

praise of God.

Philippians 1:9­11 (NIV)

A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one

of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.

Their faith journey is very important to me. And I

freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the

new school year. While I want them to be established

in a good school, with sports and other activities, I

want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.

It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point

in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even

myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority

over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the

reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk

simply because they lost opportunity for regular

connection with their church, Christian friends and

youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.

Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and

discern what might be a good fit for your students. I

help my own kids try to figure out what most

connects them with their faith at church. We look at

everything from youth group to children’s choir,

volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions

and then we decide which things will best help their

faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and

then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.

The new reality for many students simply does not

allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or

attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your

teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and

make sure to prioritize those things over everything

else. Coach them to faith success just like you do

educational achievement. It’s the most important

coaching you’ll do all year!

By Lars Rood

MODEL IT

Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms

and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a

never­ending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the

game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.

How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before

meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t

get the faith­thing exactly right?

Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday

worship service.

IN THEIR WORLD

VANCHURCH STUDENT

MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL

Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.

Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.

Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.

Gas ­ Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.

Tires ­ Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.

Oil ­ Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.

THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed

surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it

helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).

Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,

the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about

the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI ­­ It began a rage of getting others into the

picture!)

Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an

underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.

Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches

everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect

photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.

Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment

– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that

don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids

to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost self­worth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.

Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that

perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all ­ photobomb their next selfie!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

31 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

SEPTEMBER 2014

FaithQuest

Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Dear Mom & Dad:

We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This

monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in

communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and

information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.

School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And

everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will

be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities

than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,

what’s better, and what’s best!

Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this

calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the

opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We

love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.

So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us

the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to

make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up

and motivation starts winding down:

Hebrews 12:1­2 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of

witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on

Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!

Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team

DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids

on their social media sites. Consider these social

media guidelines:

1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your

teenagers’ friends.

2. Never comment on their posts.

3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.

Use social media to glean information – not to

process it!

WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’

something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at

a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we

need to be aware of are the messages our students are

absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages

all the time from the world around us. Many students

find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing

happiness or complete­ness comes from the

acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the

subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us

as parents open dialogue and engage in communication

while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to

accomplish this:

1. Regularly connect with your teen about the

messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask

them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve

watched recently, then follow up with questions like

“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions

did that illicit in you?”

2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.

Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind

them how much you want to stay involved in their

lives. Help them understand that having access to

social media accounts and talking about media

messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love­

invasion that you have launched on behalf of the

relationship.

3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie

together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or

questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our

internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.

In all areas, stay connected and ‘in­the­know’ by

keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.

Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is

going in!

By Lars Rood

YOUTHCULTURE

A WORD FROM THEWORD

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound

more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

so that you may be able to discern what is best

and may be pure and blameless for the day of

Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that

comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and

praise of God.

Philippians 1:9­11 (NIV)

A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one

of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.

Their faith journey is very important to me. And I

freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the

new school year. While I want them to be established

in a good school, with sports and other activities, I

want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.

It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point

in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even

myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority

over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the

reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk

simply because they lost opportunity for regular

connection with their church, Christian friends and

youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.

Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and

discern what might be a good fit for your students. I

help my own kids try to figure out what most

connects them with their faith at church. We look at

everything from youth group to children’s choir,

volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions

and then we decide which things will best help their

faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and

then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.

The new reality for many students simply does not

allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or

attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your

teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and

make sure to prioritize those things over everything

else. Coach them to faith success just like you do

educational achievement. It’s the most important

coaching you’ll do all year!

By Lars Rood

MODEL IT

Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms

and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a

never­ending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the

game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.

How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before

meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t

get the faith­thing exactly right?

Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday

worship service.

IN THEIR WORLD

VANCHURCH STUDENT

MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL

Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.

Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.

Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.

Gas ­ Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.

Tires ­ Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.

Oil ­ Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.

THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed

surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it

helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).

Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,

the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about

the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI ­­ It began a rage of getting others into the

picture!)

Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an

underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.

Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches

everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect

photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.

Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment

– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that

don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids

to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost self­worth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.

Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that

perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all ­ photobomb their next selfie!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

31 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

SEPTEMBER 2014

FaithQuest

Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Dear Mom & Dad:

We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This

monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in

communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and

information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.

School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And

everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will

be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities

than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,

what’s better, and what’s best!

Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this

calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the

opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We

love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.

So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us

the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to

make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up

and motivation starts winding down:

Hebrews 12:1­2 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of

witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on

Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!

Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team

DON'T MAKE ITFACEBOOK OFFICIALTo be aware of what’s happening with our kids

on their social media sites. Consider these social

media guidelines:

1. Don’t send friend or follow requests to your

teenagers’ friends.

2. Never comment on their posts.

3. Keep ‘liking’ to a minimum.

Use social media to glean information – not to

process it!

WHAT IS GOING IN?We live in a consumer culture. Our kids ‘want’

something they’ve seen on television, the internet or at

a friend’s house. A similar type of ‘consuming’ we

need to be aware of are the messages our students are

absorbing! The reality is we are being given messages

all the time from the world around us. Many students

find themselves in the tough spot of continually hearing

happiness or complete­ness comes from the

acquisition of ‘one more thing’. Being aware of the

subtle messages our kids are being exposed to helps us

as parents open dialogue and engage in communication

while looking for the truths of God. A few tips to

accomplish this:

1. Regularly connect with your teen about the

messages being downloaded into his or her brain. Ask

them to tell ‘stories’ about (summarize) what they’ve

watched recently, then follow up with questions like

“what truth did you see in that?” or “what emotions

did that illicit in you?”

2. Be sincerely honest about monitoring them.

Don’t sneak or go all James Bond on them, but remind

them how much you want to stay involved in their

lives. Help them understand that having access to

social media accounts and talking about media

messages is not an invasion of privacy, it’s a love­

invasion that you have launched on behalf of the

relationship.

3. Share your information freely. Watch a movie

together and openly share your thoughts, ideas or

questions. Sometimes our kids want to hear our

internal dialogue as much as we want to hear theirs.

In all areas, stay connected and ‘in­the­know’ by

keeping the lines of communication open and flowing.

Hearing what is coming out helps you identify what is

going in!

By Lars Rood

YOUTHCULTURE

A WORD FROM THEWORD

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound

more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

so that you may be able to discern what is best

and may be pure and blameless for the day of

Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that

comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and

praise of God.

Philippians 1:9­11 (NIV)

A DISCIPLESHIP MAPI have three kids of my own; two of whom are in one

of the toughest stages of adolescence: Middle School.

Their faith journey is very important to me. And I

freely admit I have some anxiety as we head into the

new school year. While I want them to be established

in a good school, with sports and other activities, I

want to insure none of that impedes their faith walk.

It’s a conundrum most parents deal with at some point

in child rearing. My encouragement to parents (even

myself!) is regular faith activities need to hold priority

over almost everything else. I’ve experienced the

reality of my own kids struggling in their faith walk

simply because they lost opportunity for regular

connection with their church, Christian friends and

youth workers. Begin to craft a ‘discipleship map’.

Take a look at the youth group/church calendars and

discern what might be a good fit for your students. I

help my own kids try to figure out what most

connects them with their faith at church. We look at

everything from youth group to children’s choir,

volunteering in Sunday School to serving on a missions

and then we decide which things will best help their

faith grow. Those get added to the calendar first – and

then we fit other peripheral opportunities around those.

The new reality for many students simply does not

allow for a regular Wednesday night bible study or

attendance at the fall retreat. Simply help your

teenager decide what faith opportunities will fit and

make sure to prioritize those things over everything

else. Coach them to faith success just like you do

educational achievement. It’s the most important

coaching you’ll do all year!

By Lars Rood

MODEL IT

Helping our kids grab hold of their own faith is one of the highest responsibilities we hold as moms

and dads. Helping them manage time and calendar and friendships and priorities feels like a

never­ending conversation. In reality, the best coaching we offer our kids is when we play the

game alongside them – modeling the ‘right way’ to do things – and explaining the mistakes.

How do you prioritize your schedule? Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Praying before

meals can even be a ‘living example’ of what Jesus means to you. Do you ‘fess up’ when you don’t

get the faith­thing exactly right?

Modeling spirituality and faith matters means living that life in front of them beyond Sunday

worship service.

IN THEIR WORLD

VANCHURCH STUDENT

MINISTRY...IN A NUTSHELL

Our Purpose & ProcessThe purpose of VanChurch Student Ministry is tocreate disciples by connecting students withcommunity, God, ministry, and mission.

Our StrategyOur Student Ministry centers around twoobjectives as we seek to accomplish our purpose.These objectives are outreach and discipleship.

Our StructureOur Student Ministry has a three part volunteerteam. We describe these as Gas, Tires, andOil...or GTO for short.

Gas ­ Volunteers responsible for providingenergy, planning, and direction.

Tires ­ Volunteers providing implementation andmovement on the ground. Present and engagingdirectly with youth at events, in classes, and inpesonal relationships outside the official StudentMinistry gatherings.

Oil ­ Volunteers who provide essential behind thescenes service (set up/break down, food,transportation, etc.) and keep things runningsmoothly.

THE SINISTER SELFIEFirst – let’s define ‘selfie’. In our digital age, it’s the art of taking a picture of one’s self – usually followed

surreptitiously by posting it to social media with an appropriate hashtag. (You probably know it as a pound sign – it

helps people search specific topics or pictures…and gives a creative outlet to #stringingwordstogether).

Probably you’ve caught your kids or their friends laughing it up on a selfie. Recently, thanks to Ellen Degeneres,

the more people you can get into your selfie, the more fun it is – which is a little bit ironic, when you think about

the title. (See Ellen’s Oscar selfie here. http://youtu.be/GsSWj51uGnI ­­ It began a rage of getting others into the

picture!)

Selfies are sweet. They’re cute. And in some cases, they’re amazing community builders. But there’s an

underlying danger we need to watch for as parents.

Selfies are a subtle saboteur of authenticity. Our kids live under a proverbial microscope. Everyone watches

everything…and comments on it or hashtags it or ‘likes’ it…or doesn’t. It compels our kids to take the perfect

photos, craft the perfect status updates, or Vine the perfect video clip.

Selfies (and other short social media quips) take a normal, mundane life and turn it into a Project Runway moment

– pouty lips and all. And our kids will take photo after photo until they get it just right. They’ll delete updates that

don’t ‘perform’, according to their standards, with enough likes, retweets or hearts. Selfies silently drive our kids

to achieve a false sense of perfection – and boost self­worth based on the super highway of the newsfeed.

Help your kids think strategically about WHO they are beyond their photos and hashtags. Remind them that

perfection is a pitiful, disappointing pursuit. And above all ­ photobomb their next selfie!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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SEPTEMBER 2014

FaithQuest

Jr & Sr HighCombined Bible Class9AM - Fireside RoomSept - Nov

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Parent Update Meeting12:15PM - 1:00PMFireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth MinistryKick Off PartyThe Achterbosch's6PM-8PM

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Youth Dinner & Devo

6:30PM - 8:00PM

Fireside Room

Dear Mom & Dad:

We are so excited to be rolling out the new Student Ministry here at VanChurch! This

monthly newsletter is just one of the ways we will be working to stay in

communication with parents and provide you with encouragement, tips, and

information as you do the important job of raising and discipling your teens.

School is almost underway. Routine (if there is such a thing) will be returning. And

everyone will (hopefully) be starting to breathe a little more slowly. No doubt, kids will

be coming home with more homework, more commitments, and more opportunities

than ever. Know that our team is praying for you as your family navigates what’s good,

what’s better, and what’s best!

Our prayer is that student ministries hit high on that priority list. As you peruse this

calendar and match it to your own, we want you to know how much we appreciate the

opportunity to link arms with you as you inspire faith movement in your teenager. We

love seeing them here each week – and we know what an effort that takes on your part.

So thank you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your family. Thanks for giving us

the chance to point your kids toward Jesus. Thanks for juggling all that you juggle to

make sure they can be part of things here. And remember these words as life ramps up

and motivation starts winding down:

Hebrews 12:1­2 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of

witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on

Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Thank you for persevering! Know you are loved & prayed for!

Your VanChurch Student Ministry Team