Fall Calendar

Our fall calendar is out!  If you haven’t already recieved it you can download a copy now.  A few imortant dates coming up:

• 9/5 – Promotion Sunday & YB Normal Dinner
• 9/10 - Roundabout
• 9/15 – V-Group Kickoff
• 10/1 – Fall Retreat

Promotion Sunday

This time of year is always exciting as we kick off a new school year.  Promotion Sunday for all grades at West Side is Sunday, September 5th. That means our current 8th graders will officially join the High School ministry at 10:15AM on 9/5 in E204.

If you are beginning 6th grade this year, we’ve got several cool things planned to help welcome you into our Jr. High ministry.

• Our Parent Info Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 24th at 5:15PM in E205. This is for all parents put if you’ve got a 6th grader you’re especially encouraged to come. Students are welcome to join their parents if they’d like to come as we talk a little about all of the cool things we’ve got planned this year.
• On Sunday, August 29th I’ll be visiting the Wild to introduce myself to graduating 5th graders, talk a little about our Jr. High ministry and tell everyone where they’ll be meeting starting on September 5th.
• Sunday, September 5th at 10:15AM we kick off a brand new year in Velocity.  We’ve got some really cool stuff planned this year so make sure you’re there from the very beginning!  Join us in E205 as we get the year started with a bang!
• That same evening (9/5) from 5-6PM in Centennial Hall we will be hosting our annual YB Normal Welcome Dinner. It is one of the highlights for the year for many of our students and I guarantee you won’t forget it.

Two other things you’ll want to mark on your calendar our Jr. High Roundabout on Friday night, September 10th and our V-Group Kickoff event on Wednesday, September 15th. We’ll be getting you more details soon but they are both things you will not want to miss out on.

On Location: Eiffel Tower

Our theme this summer is On Location.  Each week we’re taking a look at different locations from around the world to see what God may want to teach us.

This week Ben spoke about lessons from the Eiffel Tower.  If we want to build something great with our lives we need to make sure we have the strong connections that come from great friendships.  Jesus gave us some valuable instructions about choosing friends in John 15:10-17.  We need to look for friends who are 1) Obedient to God’s Word, 2) Loving and 3) Fruitful.

This week step back and examine the friends that you have and ask yourself if they’re going to help build you up or tear you down.  Are they the kind of people you want your life to reflect?

Beyond just thinking about the kind of friends other are to you, also consider the kind of friend you’re being to others.  Is there someone around you that could use your help as a good friend?

From Jealous to Content

This weekend in Velocity we concluded our series called eMotion.  Each week we’ve been discussing how we can move from one negative emotion toward a more positive one.

This week we talked about how we can move from Jealousy to Contentment.  We live in a society that pushes us to want more and need more all of the time.  Being content goes against everything society tells us.  But  in Philippians 4:11-13 Paul tells us that with God’s help we can learn to be content in every situation.  We can do that because we know that God has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11-14) and he wants to give us good things (James 1:17).

We watched a video about a father whose son really wanted a little ball from a mall kiosk.   But the father had something so much better in store for his son, if only he would trust him.  This week, “when you find yourself standing at the kiosk, asking, ‘Why can’t I have what I want?’ may you believe that God is good, and that across the street he has something better.”

Moving from Despair to Joy

This weekend in Velocity we started a new series called eMotion.  Each week we’ll be discussing how we can move from one negative emotion toward a more positive one.  This week we discussed moving from despair to joy.

Just like the fishermen at Pikes Peak Fish Market, everyday we wake up we have the opportunity to choose joy.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16 we are even commanded to “Be joyful always.”  That can be hard when trials (James 1:2-3) but unlike happiness, joy isn’t based on what happens around us but the fact that Christ is with us.

To live each day with joy we need to choose our attitude (let our attitude follow our actions) and dwell on things we’re thankful for rather than the things that discourage us.

Parents – This week we encouraged students to find a few minutes each morning to begin the day by focusing on things they’re thankful for or things they’re looking forward to that day.  Consider taking the challenge as a family.  At breakfast each morning have everyone share something they’re looking forward to that day and something they’re thankful for.

Peeps in Love

This weekend in Velocity we wrapped up our series on relationships called My Peeps.

Our lesson, Peeps in Love, talked about dating relationships in Jr. High.  We all want to be loved and needed.  However, only when we first find our love in God can we have incredible dating (and marriage) relationships.  We looked at what true love really is (1 Corinthians 13:1-7) and talked about the benefit of just having great friends right now so we can keep our focus on serving and loving God (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).

To wrap up, we challenged students to make a list of qualities they hope to find in the person they eventually marry.  We encouraged everyone to pray for that person but then we turned the tables.  Instead of just hoping to run into the perfect person one day, the best thing we can do right now is begin becoming like the person we hope to marry one day.  For example, if you want to marry a loving, funny, compassionate, kind person, you should work to become that kind of person yourself.

Parents – Dating can sometimes be a touchy subject with kids but sometime this week consider reading through 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (or possibly Galatians 5:23-24) and talk to your student about what kind of person they hope to marry one day.  Ask them what they hope that person is doing now to become a great future spouse and then ask what they can do to begin becoming great themselves.  To jump into the topic of marriage, you might have some cake while you talk and use that transition to a discussion about weddings and marriage.

A Note from Your Kids

Last Sunday in Velocity we talked about how we can build stronger relationships with our parents.  At the end of the morning, everyone had the chance to write anonymous notes to their parents.  Here is some of what they had to say:

Dear Mom & Dad,

This letter is from someone in junior high. We are supposed to tell you things we don’t feel comfortable telling our own parents. I now realize that the more we do what you say, the more freedom we get.

I’m sorry I’ve done the things that I’ve done that have hurt you. I love you very much even if I don’t act like it sometimes. I appreciate you a lot.

I hope everything is okay between you two. When you shut the door during your fight, I could still hear you.

Why can’t I stay up late? You say I can if I finish my homework and chores, and I do, but you don’t let me stay up.

Thanks for supporting me in whatever I do.

Thanks for helping me with math and everything else.

I really appreciate how much you guys trust me. You make my feel like I’m really trustworthy, and I’ll never take you trust for granted.

One thing that I want you to do Mom is to stop smoking and spend more time thanking God b/C it seems like your fading away from God.

I really appreciate that you always encourage me. I will try to do my chores every week, I wish you thought more about trusting my and buying me a phone and stuff like that.

I wish that our family would do more stuff together (preferably electronic) so we bond, we spend too much time apart, not together.

I wish that I would have a little bit more freedom but I would like to thank you for allowing me to do the things I do. I just want to thank you for being there for me every day.

Thank you mom for giving my new friends a chance and giving more trust that anyone else has. I love you mom to the end of my days, always and forever.

I’m sorry for not obeying, being disobedient, lying and talking back. I’m sorry.

Thanks for being such amazing parents. I promise to be nicer to my siblings.

Sincerely,

Your Kids

If you prefer it, here is a version that can be more easily printed.

My Parental Peeps

This weekend in Velocity we continued our series on relationships called My Peeps.

Our lesson entitled, My Parental Peeps, looked at 1 Samuel 20:24-34 and the story of Jonathan testing his father Saul about his plan to kill David.  Just as Saul threw a spear at his son and burst their “trust balloon”, sometimes we pick up our own spears (lies, deceit, disobedience, etc) and destroy the trust that has been built up with parents.  Instead, if we want a great relationship with our parents we need to learn to give and receive trust.

As a family this week, read over Ephesians 6:1-4 together.  Then, to help build up trust, come up with some things you can commit to for each other (empty the dishwasher, talk over dinner together, do your homework first, etc).  Then make sure that you follow through and earn the trust you’ve been given.

We also had students write anonymous notes to their parents so be on the look out for some of their thoughts soon.

Chillin with My Peeps

This weekend in Velocity we began a new series on relationships called My Peeps.

Our lesson entitled, Chillin with My Peeps, looked at 1 Samuel 20:1-4 and the story of David and Jonathan.  We talked about how we build friendships that go beyond the surface level to become relationships that last a lifetime.  To build deeper friendships we’ve got to find people we can build trust with whether it is people at school, in our neighborhood or in a small group at church.  Ultimately, we all need friends who will speak truth to us even when it is hard, just like David did to Jonathan.

1. What is one way you can try to build stronger friendships this week?
2. Think about your friendships.  Is there something you’ve needed to speak up about for a while now but have been holding back?
3. Next time a friend brings up something serious to you, how can you use that opportunity to build a closer friendship?

If you’ve had trouble finding friends who will be there for you no matter what and challenge you in your relationship with God, consider being a part of one of our V-Groups new students are always welcome so meet us in the gym THIS WEDNESDAY from 6:30-8PM.

Only Way To Travel

This weekend in Velocity we concluded our series called An Incredible Journey focusing on the life of Abraham.

This week we looked at Genesis 22:1-14 and he story of Abraham and Isaac.  Abraham showed us what life fully committed to God looks like.  He was prepared to give EVERYTHING to God, even his only son.  He lived his life with arms wide open rather than clinging to the things he valued most.  He gave it all to God.

Sometime this week, talk as a family about the things you value most.  Ask yourself the question, “Is there anything that I wouldn’t be willing to give up if God asked me to?”  It can be a hard question but it often helps us see if we’re really putting God first in everything.