We will be staying in Golden, Colorado at the Holiday Inn (the same location as last year), and skiing / snowboarding at Copper Mountain. Copper is a great location with something for every level of skier or snowboarder. It is highly recommended that beginner skiers and snowboarders take a lesson - remember, we are going to the Rocky Mountains. For those of you who aren’t about the skiing, but love the fellowship – we will be hanging out at the Sixteenth Street Mall during the day. This is a very cool shopping district in downtown Denver – complete with ESPN Zone, movie theatre, bowling alley, and tons of places to eat or get some good coffee. Contact Janet Harding if you have any questions or would like more information.

We do several things each week to provide an avenue for your students to become equipped and encouraged in their walk with the Lord. We know that it is not always possible for students to be involved in everything that goes on in our ministry. However, there are two big events in the calendar year that you want to make sure your students do not miss – our annual High School Ski Trip and Summer Camp. There is so much that God can accomplish when students are away from the “norms’ of everyday life, around others who are trying to live for the Lord, and engulfed in an atmosphere of worship, prayer and preaching. We see the Lord do more in one weekend – or one week – than we could accomplish in three months of Sunday meetings. Our next big event is the 2008 Ski Trip which takes place on Presidents Day weekend (February 15-18). The cost of this year’s trip is the same as last year; $200.00 – which covers travel, lodging, and breakfast each morning. (Does not include lift tickets, ski rentals, or food). Details are still being finalized; registration will begin shortly. So, if you are struggling with what to stuff you student’s stocking with – this would make an excellent Christmas gift!

Students

The powder is calling! Rocky mountain “freshies” are just waiting for us to lay down first tracks. We will be heading back to Colorado for this year’s ski trip. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS! We will be staying in Golden, Colorado at the Holiday Inn (the same location as last year), and skiing/snowboarding at Copper Mountain. Copper is a great location with something for every level of skier or snowboarder.

We will be doing things a little differently this year so we can avoid any equipment rental problems and get you on the mountain as soon as we arrive. For those of you who aren’t about the skiing, but love the fellowship – we will be hanging out at the Sixteenth Street Mall during the day. This is a very cool shopping district in downtown Denver – complete with ESPN Zone, movie theatre, bowling alley, and tons of places to eat or get some good coffee.

But don’t answer yet . . . there’s more. This trip is about so much more than skiing or hanging out; we will be spending time together each night in worship and hearing some excellent preaching. Pray seriously about coming and ask the Lord to use this trip to do a great work in your heart. Make this trip about seeking the Lord, and watch what happens! See you on the slopes (or Starbucks)!

Our annual trip will once again take place over President’s Day weekend, February 15-18, 2008. The base cost of $180.00 includes travel and hotel expenses; this price does not include ski/snowboarding equipment rental, lessons, lift tickets, or food costs. All money is due approximately two weeks in advance of the trip.

This could be the perfect Christmas gift for your student! More information on this exciting event will be available next month.

If we feel this way as adults, consider how much more difficult it must be for our teens. The teen years are a time when our kids are desperately seeking community and acceptance. To live according to standards found in scripture usually puts them on a fast track to rejection and social or emotional suicide. That’s why it is critical for them to have proper support structures in place, like a family that encourages their walk with Christ and a church family that edifies and validates their faith. Living their faith is hard enough, but sharing their faith can be terrifying. This is like our “evang-a-phobia” times ten! And yet, that is exactly what God is asking them to do.

As petrifying as it may be, our students need to allow the love of God to swallow their fears and “Go and preach the gospel to every creature” — that includes their peers. Today’s teens are the largest population segment in America, and only four percent of them claim to be born again! Our high school campuses are one of the largest mission fields on the planet and one of the most closed off. Outside of Christian gatherings like FCA or Club 121, pastors, parents and even teachers are not allowed to share their faith or teach the Bible on school grounds. This leaves the evangelism of our nation’s youth to the students themselves. Studies have shown that the greater percentage of conversions take place before the age of 20, after that, the odds of a person coming to Christ drop off considerably. So, who will go into the fertile fields of our high school hallways, locker rooms and cafeterias bearing the precious seed of the gospel? Are our kids up to the task? As parents we place a lot of emphasis on grades, sports and extracurricular activities, and rightly so. But what about reaching the lost?

This month we are starting a new series in the High School Class on evangelism. In addition to messages on Sunday morning, students will be given specific training in personal evangelism at our home groups that meet in various locations during the week. We will be using the “Way of the Master” DVD series as the vehicle to do this. If you have never seen this material, it is a very powerful tool in equipping the church to effectively share our faith. I have been through the course and found it to be incredibly enlightening and encouraging. I believe it will make a huge impact on our students, and as a result, in the lives of the lost in our high schools. They will learn to deal with their fear of evangelism and be emboldened to share their faith with confidence. If your student is not involved in a home group, this would be an excellent time to get involved. Not only will they be instructed in the area of evangelism, but they will also find an atmosphere of godly community and acceptance. Make sure your student doesn’t miss out on this opportunity. My prayer is that by the end of this series, we will have laborers going forth into the fields of our high school campuses and gleaning the Lord’s harvest.

New Student Ministry Assistant
Pastor Jim Lee and Pastor Kent Liles have a new administrative assistant beginning this month. Janet Harding will take over for Kristy Perry as the student ministries administrative assistant beginning October 1. Kristy is leaving her position to stay at home with a new baby, due in early December. Parents can reach Janet Harding at jharding@kcbt.org or at 816-358-0988 ext. 2006.

Key October Dates
Jr. High Sold Out will meet on Wednesdays in October except Wednesday, October 31. Sold Out dates include: 10/3, 10/10 and 10/24.
High School home groups will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays in October except for Wednesday, October 17, and Wednesday, October 31. October home group dates include: 10/1, 10/3, 10/8, 10/10, 10/22 and 10/24.
Worship Wednesday for both Junior High and High School students is October 17, at 7 p.m. at the Point.
Main Service Sunday is October 21. Junior High and High School students will meet in the main service at 9 a.m.
The Junior High Halloween Party is Friday, October 26, at the Jim and Kelly Lee’s home from 6-9 p.m. Their address is 5415 S. Stillhouse Road, Oak Grove, Missouri 64075. Students will receive more details as the date approaches.
The High School Halloween Party is Wednesday, October 31, from 6:30-10 p.m. at Craig and Lorie Rookstool’s home. Their address is 1050 NE Blackwell Parkway, Lee’s Summit, Missouri 64086. Home groups are cancelled this week so students can attend this annual fall party at the Rookstools. Students will receive more details as the date approaches.

With the return of the school year comes the added responsibility our students face with studies, sports, and extracurricular activities. Too often these things take priority and students begin to lose their connection with God, his body, and his mission. Students who were once active in serving and worshiping on Sunday mornings, attending home groups during the week, or ministering to others find themselves too overwhelmed to keep such a hectic schedule. Even daily appointments with their King start to become few and far between.

As parents, itís difficult to know how to help our kids keep a proper balance between family, school responsibilities, activities, and church. I have always tried to apply the principle found in Mathew 6:33 in guiding my own children; ìSeek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these THINGS shall be added unto you.î When we allow the “things” of life to cut off our connection to Christ and his body, we quickly get out of balance. I know that when my kids are seeking the Lord, spending time with other believers, and investing their lives in ministry all the other “things” they become involved with are kept in proper perspective. As parents, God has given us the wisdom of knowing what’s best for our kids even when they don’t see it and the responsibility of guiding them in ways that will put them in the best position to succeed. True success is not measured by whether or not your students make first string on the football or volleyball team, what seat they have in the orchestra, or even their GPA, but rather it is measured by the intimacy they develop with Christ and the fruit that results from it. It’s not that those things aren’t important, but they shouldn’t become excuses for abandoning a relationship with the Lord. Are your students seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness FIRST? Are they connected to the body of Christ? Are they attending a home group during the week? Do they even have time to spend with the Lord one on one? If not, you may want to rethink all the “THINGS” they are involved in that just may be keeping them from the One Thing they truly need. If your student isn’t involved in a home group, check out our website to see when and where they meet during the week. Itís a great way for them to stay connected once school starts and life gets crazy again.

Upcoming Student Ministry Events
High School home groups will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays in September except for Monday, September 3 (Labor Day) and the week of the Summit. September home group dates include 9/10, 9/12, 9/17, 9/19Junior High Sold Out will meet on Wednesdays in September including: 9/12, 9/19.

Worship Wednesday for both Junior High and High School students is September 5 at 7 pm at the Point. Junior High and High School students will meet in the main service at 9 am on Sunday, September 9.

The final meeting for the European Discovery Trip is Sunday, September 16, at 1 pm in the Upper Room.

The Summit is September 23-26. On Sunday, September 23, Junior High, High School and College students will attend service together at the Point at 9 am to hear from Pastor Trev Gregory from the UK. Normal services resume on September 30.