This month in Velocity we’ve been going through a series called LIFE.  We’re talking about some of the major parts of life and this week, both on Sunday and tonight at V-Groups, we talked about parents.  We gave kids a chance to write anonymous notes to their mom & dad and we wanted to share some of their comments with you.  They’re pretty powerful!

Dear Mom & Dad,

• Thank you for loving me and giving me the opportunity to have a relationship with God. I am sorry if I don’t understand where you are coming from at times. I love you guys.
• I wish that we talked about God more in everyday life.
• I wish my mom and stepdad would listen to me more after they get home from work instead of watching TV.
• I wish we could go out and do more things.
• I like it when you spend individual time with me, like playing basketball or going to lunch with me.
• It seems like you are never home.
• I wish that you would not yell.
• I just wish I could get you to sit down and actually listen to me instead of just saying “I’m the adult, you’re the child.” It makes me feel like you think I’m stupid.
• I wish you would spend time with me.
• Help me. Listen more often.
• I do not think that I say sorry enough.
• I wish you knew how much I really appreciate you.
• Make more rules.
• I am so happy that you give me so many rules. It helps me.
• I wish you knew how much I appreciate you and what you do for me.
• I love you. Thank you for being kind. I wish you could know that I want to spend more time with you.
• I can’t say how much I love you.
• I love you so much! You mean so much to me. I am so proud to be your child.

 Love,

Your Child

In 2005 a group of students on our Jr. High mission team helped us begin sponsoring Luis (who we’ve affectionately referred to as Yac) through Compassion International.  He was 5 when we first began sponsoring him but now he’s almost 12.  He’s living in Guatemala and going to one of the Compassion International schools there thanks to the offering our students give each week.

Over the last year or two many of our students have made Elevate commitments along with the rest of our church body and have increased their level of giving.  It’s exciting to see so many of our students with offering envelopes each week just like the adults in our congregation.  However, as we’ve partnered with the church body in our Elevate emphasis, it has been more difficult to keep up both of our child sponsorships (we also sponsor a girl named MaryAnn from Kenya).

At this point I don’t think it’ll be possible for our ministry to continue to sponsor Luis.  That is where you come in.  I’d love to avoid dropping the sponsorship completely and instead to pass his sponsorship on to a caring student or family who’d like to help send him to school.  His monthly $38 sponsorship sends him to school and provides some meals and clothing that he wouldn’t otherwise have.  If your family would be interested in investing in the life of Luis and taking over his sponsorship, please let me know.  I can show you some of the letters he’s written us and get you more info so you can make a decision.

UPDATE: A sponsor has been found!  A great family from West Side is going to take over Luis’ sponsorship.  Please continue to pray from Luis as he grows into a great young man who loves God!

Friday, February 3 our Men’s ministry will be hosting “An Enchanted Evening” for dads and their daughters from 6:00-8:00pm at LSCA. It’ll be a great chance for fathers and daughters of all ages to have a fun and memorable night together.  All dads with daughters ages 5 and older are invited to attend. We’ll have a catered meal and interactive activities for dads and daughters to share in. Cost is $20/family. Sign up at the table in the concourse or by contacting the church office at 793-2800.

The biggest trip for our High School ministry every year is the CIY MOVE Conference.  Each year our graduating 8th graders are invited to join the H.S. ministry on this great trip.  It’s the best way we know to help students meet new people and begin in a new ministry right so I highly encourage our graduating students to attend.

To help cover the cost of the trip, many students volunteer to work Upward Concessions and other volunteer roles on Friday evenings and Saturdays in February and March.  Funds raised are divided among the volunteers and it can be a great way to significantly reduce the cost of your trip.  Signups for volunteer time slots are now open.  They fill up quickly though so if you’re interested, contact Josh Ryder or signup this Sunday after 2nd or 3rd service.

Last week our new intern, Drew Kanzler joined the student ministry team.  We’re excited to have him and we wanted to give you a chance to get to know him so you can get as excited as we are.

1. What were you doing before coming to WSCC?

I was (and still am) a student in the Undergrad program at Lincoln Christian University. I will graduate in May and continue as an intern here. I also worked with at risk youth in Lincoln for the past 3+ years.

2. What are 3 things most people don’t know about you?

I collect a peculiar and strange assortment of hats (I have over 70), I have had two knee surgeries and I have traveled to England, Italy, Germany, Austria, South Korea, Mexico, and Canada.

3. What was your very first paid job?

My first paid job was landscaping. I worked for a company called Earth and Turf for three summers. ‘We take Pride in your Outside!”

4. What do you love?

My girlfriend Alexis, family, state fair corn dogs, White Sox, making people smile, the Lord, Youth Ministry, playing basketball, brain games.

5. What makes you laugh?

TV shows without a laugh track, watching the Illini lose, Bill Cosby, puns, wittiness, cheesy jokes.

6. Greatest fear?

Falling down the stairs.

7. Secret Ambition?

To be a Division 1 Men’s Basketball Head Coach.

9. Favorite Quote?

Do not let the things you can’t do, keep you from doing the things you can do. -John Wooden

Success is having something, Excellence is being something. -Brad Stevens

9. Describe one of your proudest moments.

This past summer when I was working on Camp Teams for LCU, I baptized a young high school girl. She was the first person that I have baptized. That is one of my proudest moments.

10. What is the best way to contact you?

 Telepathically, but if you can’t do that, e-mail me at DrewK@wschurch.org.

 Please help us welcome Drew to the student ministry team!

By now you have likely heard that one part of our churchwide Elevate initiative is the building of a new student center.  However, if you don’t use the East entrance often, you may not have noticed that the ground has been broken and construction has begun!  To get a glimpse of what we have planned, visit www.wschurch.org/studentcenter or check out the pictures below.  We also now have a live feed so you can hope online anytime to see our progress and find out how things are going.  Current plans are to finish construction sometime in the summer of 2012.  It’s exciting to think about how God will use that space to impact the lives of students in the Springfield area!

On Sunday, October 16th we released our first edition of Family Night Live, a new resources our family ministry team has put together.  We hope it’ll be a great opportunity for you to have fun with each other and talk about how your family can better take advantage of the time you have together.  We’ve already gotten some great feedback so make sure you take the time to try it as a family.  If you haven’t yet recieved a copy, you can pick one up on the info desk in the consourse or up in E205.

If possible, set aside a couple of hours with your family to try it between now and October 30th.  Then submit your story in the box on the info desk in the concourse or online (www.wschurch.org/FNL).  Not only will it help us plan for the next edition of FNL, we’ll enter your family into a drawing for a night out at the movies for your whole family!

With the remaining four weeks, we’ll be taking a look at several specific ways Jesus calling us to be weird.  To go along with each, we’re crafted a New Revised Velocity version of Matthew 5 1/2 with some of Jesus’ potential teachings for each week. 

New this year, we will beoffering a Family Milestone event just for our 7th graders and the important adults in their lives. There will be both a Boys Only retreat and a Girls Only retreat and we’recrafting each to be an intentional experience to help students transition into adulthood.

You may have seen these on our Fall calendar. However, we’re planning to adjust the timing a little this year and move them to the spring. If you are a 7th grader or a parent of a 7th grader, make sure you’re on the lookout for more details over the next few months.

Parents, please take a moment to look over our Family Road Map to see how you can best take advantage of our programs for all ages of children and families at West Side.