YOU'RE INVITED! For a typical year,  we have 60 days of “lessons” (available on line), 40 days of “missions”, 18 days of “fellowship” and 8 days for  “fundraisers”, not to mention Sunday School, Travel opts. and hosting the state wide spiritual  evelopment program “Chrysalis”  JOIN US!

Shore Up Your Kids Against Peer Pressure As the parents of a teenager, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that your influence is fading just as the influence of your child’s peers is growing. Teenagers have always sought cues and direction from people their own age and attempted to blend in with the “crowd.” According to youth-culture expert Walt Mueller, peer pressure used to involve verbal invitations to do something you knew was wrong. But today, it “typically takes the form of an unspoken expectation to participate in behavior that the vast majority of the peer group believes to be normal and right.” These days, Mueller adds, it’s much more difficult for kids to go against the flow when the behaviors promoted are no longer sneaky but celebrated. Teenagers are prone to peer pressure not just because they want to fit in but because their brains are still developing. The pre-frontal cortex, which regulates self-control, emotions, and judging consequences is the last part of the brain to develop. In other words, your youth is not yet an adult, so expect an interesting mix of adult thinking ability tainted by immaturity, impulsivity, and inconsistent logic. Although teenagers are socially and physically vulnerable to peer pressure, you don’t need to stand back, hold your breath, and hope for the best. By communicating with your kids and modeling godly behavior, you can help them stand firm against all kinds of temptations.   Use these strategies from author Walt Mueller to encourage and equip teenagers in the midst of their pressure-cooker lives: 1. Recognize that negative peer pressure is a spiritual battle that we all fight constantly. Our behavior can be baffling (see Romans 7:14-24), but Jesus has overcome our struggle with temptation. 2. Model a lifestyle of discipleship. This shows that following Christ isn’t always the easy choice but is always the right choice. 3. Listen before offering advice. Teenagers who sense they’ve been respected and heard are then more prone to hear you out. 4. Encourage kids to get involved in a positive peer group, such as a church youth group. Leaders and members of these organizations celebrate the narrow path that leads to the good life. 5. Affirm kids’ worth in your eyes—and God’s. Remind kids that they’re “in process,” and show them the grace that God has shown you.   PulsePulsePulsePulsePulsePulsePulse If all that people knew about teenagers came from media reports, they probably would speculate that kids are wild risk-takers headed for certain disaster. But consider the flip side of some recent statistics: Just more than half of teenagers will experiment with alcohol. That means nearly half won’t experiment. About 40% of teenagers will try drugs at least once. That means 60% won’t try them at all. Fewer than 25% of teenagers who try illegal substances regularly use them. That means the majority don’t use them. (webMD.com)   Great Questions ...to Ask Your Kids  Let teenagers know you’re available to talk about the pressures they’re facing. Then be ready to really listen. Start a discussion with these questions: 1. What types of expectations do kids have for one another these days?  2. What are some of the biggest pressures you’ve faced so far? How easy or difficult has it been to say “no” to each, and why? 3. Do you consider yourself to be a leader or a follower, and why? Have you ever pressured someone? Explain. 4. When you’re faced with choices, what decision-making process do you follow? Do you consider all the possible consequences?   GOD AND YOUR FAMILY Pray that: 1. God will protect your teenagers against negative peer pressure, poor judgment, and harmful consequences. 2.  Your teenagers will use their faith to help them resist temptations and negative pressures. 3. Your teenagers will be influenced by positive peer pressure and will have godly friends who make wise choices. 4. Your teenagers will be positive examples for other young people who wish to live godly lives.   VERSE OF THE MONTH “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14) The world is so seductive because it offers a wide variety of pleasures and pursuits. Jesus realizes the temptations we face on earth—and has faced them himself as a man. But he also promises to provide “a way out” so we can “endure” (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). With Jesus’ help, we can remain faithful and enter through the narrow gate to heaven.   What’s Up With Kids At SimplyYouthMinistry.com, Jane Dratz, editor for Dare 2 Share ministries, discusses the importance of making wise choices: The questions teenagers wrestle with on a daily basis are incredibly challenging, because these days many choices come with lifelong consequences. Choose poorly in the realm of Internet porn and distort God’s blueprint for sex for a lifetime. Go too far and find yourself with an incurable STD or 18 years of child-support payments. Make a wrong choice about drinking or drugs, and risk arrest and a criminal record that can potentially block you out of future college or job opportunities. When peer pressure seems unbearable and the urge of the moment is battling to reign supreme, how do you respond? As a Christian, the battle is daunting. But take courage in knowing that you aren’t entering the battle alone. If you’ve made the ultimate choice of all choices, to surrender your life to Jesus and live life to the max for God’s glory, then you fight the battle with Jesus by your side, guiding, strengthening, and empowering you to take your stand and fight. A real and vibrant relationship with God that serves as the driving force behind your lifestyle choices is the most powerful motivation you can find for owning your choices and choosing wisely. And consider this piece of good news: The consequences for good choices have a ripple effect as well. Your choice to follow Jesus is a great example of this! Let your relationship with Jesus impact the lives of people around you by sharing his truth and grace with others.   FilmWatch Movie: My Best Friend’s Girl                 Genre: Comedy Rating: R (for strong, graphic language and sexual content, including some nudity) Synopsis: Tank (Dane Cook), a master at offending women, hires himself out when guys get dumped. He takes the ex-girlfriend on the worst date of her life so she’ll run back to her boyfriend. While trying to help his best friend, Tank meets Alexis (Kate Hudson), whom he ultimately falls for. Tank is torn between loyalty to his best friend and love for his best friend’s girl. Discussion Questions: How loyal are you to your friends? Would you do anything for them? Why or why not? What would you do if your best friend asked you to do something you know is wrong? Which is more important to you: love or friendship? Explain.   Lying Called Vital Social Skill This news-story illustration explores the role of lying in the popularity game. A recent study in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior shows a strong link between teenagers’ popularity and their ability to deceive. After their social skills and popularity were evaluated, 32 subjects ages 11 to 16 were videotaped both lying and telling the truth about liking a drink they were given. Then observers evaluated lying skills, looking at non-verbal cues such as blinking and eye contact. The results showed that at all ages, the most socially adept young people were the best deceivers. Lying ability also improved with age. Psychologist Robert Feldman, who conducted the research, said, “Politicians have known for a very long time that telling people what they want to hear is a very good social tactic. . . . Lying is in some ways a social skill. If we were always totally honest with other people, we would get ourselves in lots of unpleasant situations. Nobody wants to hear that you don’t like the gift you just gave them.” Think About This: - Based on your experiences, do these findings ring true? Why or why not? - Have you ever considered lying a skill? Why or why not? - In what ways could lying be viewed as a “social skill”? - What traits of liars might make them more popular? - Would you want to be friends with someone known to lie? Why or why not? - Does calling lying a skill diminish its impact against God’s will? Why or why not? - Does lying open the door to other sins? Explain. - Does lying always have consequences? Why or why not? - Are white lies told to protect someone’s feelings or to avoid unpleasant but harmless situations? Why or why not? - Is someone’s truthfulness a good measure of how strong his or her Christian faith is? Why or why not? - Do you make an effort to avoid liars? Do you ever confront them? Why or why not? - In your social circles, is lying accepted or stigmatized? Explain. - When you struggle with telling the truth, what influences your decision the most, and why? - When you struggle with telling the truth, what influences your decision the most, and why?