Live The Great

Are you young, single, and seeking God’s will for your life? Sometimes its necessary to take a step back in order to grow. Join the Focus Minstry Fellowship this May as we escape the hustle and bustle of city life for the grounds of Lake Doniphan. Meet other students and discover other men and women that work in your part of the KC Metro area. Learn more about how God is using the Focus Ministry to grow the next generation of leaders. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk with small group leaders, discuss ideas for new small group topics, and start planning new groups for the fall semester.

This retreat is a great opportunity for single men and women that serve on Sunday mornings to meet other Focus class members. Register now to reserve your space or click here for more information.

This article was written by Junior High Pastor Chris Ruzicka.

This question has been raging for decades in student ministry. The obvious answer is yes, but the “making it happen” aspect remains elusive. On September 14th our church is undergoing major changes in its effort to reach a younger generation. At the same time, the Student Ministries would like to make improved effort to reach the parents of that generation, with the information they need in order to be well informed.

At the present time, Student Ministries has been relying on this email, letters, and word of mouth from the students, all of which are legitimate avenues of communication. Beginning September 14th we are going to add another tool. The Student Ministries will now have counter space on the connections counter!! Located next to the “Recibidores” sign, we will have counselors and/or pastors posted to answer all your questions in regards to getting connected, directed and perfected in Student Ministries. We will have calendars and other handouts available to you the parent. The space will be occupied before the first service, between the first and second service and after the second service to help meet your needs.

Please take advantage of this new communication tool. Come meet the men and women who are investing in your student(s). Student Ministries looks forward to connecting to you.

How would you describe your family life right now?- Mundane or miraculous?

So many times, when describing how to raise children, the anecdote is given that children need “love and discipline.” Obviously, both of these qualities are incredibly important. Without them you will most definitely fail to see your children become the citizens they should be. When children get involved in gross sin or become belligerent toward their parents the issue almost always centers on how parents are 1) loving their children, and/or how they are 2) training their children. Questions to ask surrounding these two topics include: Am I ministering to my child according to the child’s love language? Am I teaching them how to walk with the Lord through my life? Do they see unwavering integrity in my life? Do I promote their development through restricting who they spend time with and what they are exposed to? When dealing with typical sin issues in the lives of teens, these are the typical issues to explore.

But is this all we are shooting for? Too many parents would rest satisfied if their children ended up with good occupations and good families, thinking that they had done their jobs as parents. In reality, if this is all there was, they would have failed as parents. Our goal should be to have godly children- Children who love God with a passion…Children who serve God by serving others… Could it be that we have been operating with the wrong goals?

One may ask what is missing. What needs to change in my parenting in order to have godly children? I believe there is a very important third quality that is often overlooked… Our children need 1) love and 2) discipline. But just as important is the area of miracles. The Book of Judges teaches us that Israel served the Lord up until the men died who had seen the miracles of God. When they died, Israel went their own way and stopped following God. Our kids need an appetite for following the Lord that only miracles will accomplish. They need to see that GOD IS FOR REAL!

Begin to ask the Lord to reveal His power in the life of your family. What are you praying for as a family? What is your family trusting the Lord to do that only He can do? How do your kids see God answering their prayers? Why would our kids be excited about a God who last “showed up” five years ago in the life of their parents? Our kids need to see God at work in the here and now.

So how would you describe your family life right now? Is it miraculous OR has it slipped into the mundane?

It seems like there are many things that distract young adults from becoming all that God desires. Whether it be college coursework, relationships, new job and travel opportunities, family, or social activities, it can be difficult to focus on one thing. How can you discern which opportunities are from the Lord and what could be a potentially devastating distraction?

In his letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul discussed the pros and cons of marriage and singleness. He noted that the unmarried person cares for things of the Lord and how he can please the Lord, while a married person naturally considers how decisions effect his/her spouse. This is also the time of life when you begin to discover the gifts God has blessed you with and learn to use them within the local church body. That could mean serving on a Greeter team one Sunday a month, the Nursery Department two Sundays per month, or take 6 months to work in a foreign country. Do you know where you should begin?

Young adults 35 and under are welcome to join us as we learn to focus on who God has made us to be, surrender our desires and passions and make decisions that will have an eternal impact. Focus meets at 9:45 in the Fellowship Hall beginning September 14.

Junior High Notebooks are available for sale at the Alley through September for $10. They can be purchased with a check made out to KCBT or cash and will be invaluable to students. Why?

These notebooks will give them the information they need in order to keep up on their class-wide Bible reading and memorization, will contain a calendar of upcoming Junior High events, have a place for Sunday morning message notes, a list of their adult leaders, and their prayer journal. This journal will be a regular part of what they will need each Sunday as it will be referred back to for various reasons, including during the messages.

Parents please join your student for our first Sixth Grade activity of the year. There will be a cookout, water games, and sporting events at the Point (5600 Blue Ridge Cut-Off) on Saturday, August 16, from 4:00-8:00pm. If you plan to participate in the water games wear clothing that you don’t mind getting wet!

Students should bring waterguns with them. Parents, if you’d like to help we need desserts, drinks, chips, and/or condiments, please contact Luke Sidebottom. Help is also needed with the grilling and supervising. Hope you can make it!

Join us at The Point (5600 Blue Ridge Cut-Off) from 7-8:30pm on August 20 for our next Worship Wednesday. As we learn what it means to give up self-centered lives and surrender our passion to serve the Lord, we realize how much we need him to accomplish everything. Worship Wednesdays give us the chance to meet together for intense worship, focused prayer, and acknowledgment of what the Lord has done. Regular High School home group meetings are replaced by Worship Wednesday.

Junior High Bible Reading Trip

April 25-26 Jim and Kelly Lee will take a group of Jr High students on the Bible reading trip to Six Flags, St. Louis. They have a group of about 15 Jr High students who will make the trip this year. Please encourage your student to be faithfully reading God’s word every day. We’ve discovered that one of the greatest ways to accomplish this is for the whole family to follow the same reading schedule. This keeps everyone on the same page!

High School and Junior High Camp

Camp will be here before you know it ! Save the dates if you haven’t already. Be sure to watch for more details about camp in upcoming Parents’ Newsletters. Camp is an incredibly important time in the spiritual life of your student. One week of camp is equivalent to 6 months to a year of ministry time. When your student is away from the distractions of daily life, cell phones, TV, video, daily life, it can do wonders for them.

Please make camp a priority for your student. Get more details, cost information and sign up NOW online from this High School or Junior High webpages. Look for the link in the right sidebar called “sign up for camp.” You will not regret the investment you make now. See Calendar information below to find out when late fees begin for each camp.

High School Senior Video

We want your student’s photos and videos for the annual senior video! We’re looking for pictures and video from childhood up to today. Send photos and video via e-mail to Janet Harding or drop them off at the main church building in the Student Ministries mailbox. Please have all your photos and/or videos in by April 13, 2008, and have video queued to the appropriate place. Please make sure any video is on a CD or VHS only.

Cookies for College Students

Twice a year at finals time we mail cookies to College students who are out of towners. If you would like to bake cookies to send to one of these students, please package them in batches of one dozen and put in a hard container. If you have a small box that your container will fit in with room for some cushioning, that would also help. Leave them in the box in the front office marked COOKIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS on Sunday, April 27. We will mail them out the following day to arrive while students are studying for finals. They love to know we are thinking of them while they are working so hard. It’s a great way for our younger students to minister to the College students! Maybe you can gather some friends and bake cookies together! We need a total of 40 dozen cookies to send to all the students on the list.

Week of Prayer at UMKC

For those who have yet to hear, we are doing a week of night and day prayer on UMKC’s campus in conjunction with Homeless Awareness Week. Many other church communities in Kansas City will also be participating in the week of prayer - be part of this joint effort of God’s people coming together for the sake of those who do not yet know Him.

The week kicks off on April 13th at 6 pm and will finish on April 18th at 10pm. We will be in the center of campus,the Quad in a 20 x 20 Tent. Corporate prayer and worship will take place each night from 6-10pm in the Quad (if the weather isn’t working with us we have a space for corporate worship inside Royal Hall, Rm 111). Directions will come later if you do not know your way! Signup in advance for your one hour prayer slot in the tent.

Important Dates

High School Home Groups: Mondays and Wednesdays
Junior High Sold Out: Wednesday nights at The Point from 7-8:30pm
Junior High Bible Reading Trip: April 25-26
Cookies for College Students: Drop off on April 27
High School Camp Late Fee: Signup before May 19
Worship Wednesday: May 28 at The Point
Junior High Camp Late Fee: Signup Before June 30

Hope you’ve enjoyed the Holiday break. Here are some key dates for January and February; be sure to mark your calendars and make plans to join us for these exciting events!

Junior High Sold Out will not meet on January 2; we’ll resume on January 9 at The Point.

High School Home Groups resume the week of January 6. Haven’t joined a home group yet? Click here to see a list of our groups and contact one near you!

Our annual Ski Retreat will be here before you know it! The busses pull out at 8am Friday, February 15 and will return at approximately 7pm on Monday, February 18. We’re headed back to Denver and the Rocky Mountains for great skiing, shopping, worship, and preaching. The cost for this year’s trip is $200.00 student, with additional fees for ski/snowboarding, lessons, equipment rental, and food. Space is limited to two chartered busses, so it is important to register by January 20 to guarantee your seat. All money is due on January 20.

Junior High Sold Out and High School Home Groups will not meet Thanksgiving week. Enjoy the holiday with your families!