Rhythm

Starting January 8th!

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Rhythm:

This series is our "2012 Launch" series. Everything we do over the next year will be focused on one of these 3 areas. We consider these to be key elements for Arcades' teens to grasp the Gospel... WONDER, DISCOVERY, & PASSION. 

Series Overview

Have you ever noticed how connected everything is? It’s almost as if there was some type of unseen structure to all of life, a rhythm. Many of us are oblivious to it until things are out of sync. We know something is wrong, and we can maybe pinpoint a few things around us that are culprits, but deep down we know there is something more going on. We are out of rhythm—with God, with ourselves or with others. 

We will begin this series on January 8th. Bring your teens. Invite their friends. Discuss during the week.

Tis the Season: PEACE

Why is it that Christmas is one of the least peaceful times of the year? Whether it’s the long lines at the stores or the stress of even how to make the holidays happen in this economy, Christmas can easily become something we just want to get through and survive. But peace, true peace, has little to do with what is going on around us. In fact, Jesus came to bring peace to our lives in a way that defies logic, and He also invites us to participate with Him in bringing peace to those around us as well. We discussed that the word "Peace" in the Bible really refers to bringing meaning to chaos... Jesus came to bring meaning to a chaotic world. And we also saw that it is our responsibility to be "Peacemakers" in every relationship we have around us.

Session Two Parent Cue: What makes the holidays not peaceful? What can we do to be intentional about creating “peace” in our home?

Tis the Season: HOPE

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent sync” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Series Overview

This Christmas, probably more than any other in recent years, we are hoping that life will get better. We are hoping that life will look differently next year, even if we’re not sure how. We realize that no one person or institution holds a solution, but we’re expecting something different, even if we’re not sure how that is going to work out. Words like hope, peace and love have a new meaning this year, don’t they? We’re waiting to have hope, peace and love in our lives, in our communities, in our world. Even if we’re not sure how it will all work out. And just like thousands of years ago, Jesus is the one who came to bring hope, peace and love to our lives then . . . and now. Jesus taught us how to find hope, bring peace and initiate love even when our circumstances are less than ideal.

Session One: Hope 12.5.2011

Christmas is a time filled with great expectations. (Just ask Clark Griswald.) We expect snow to fall on Christmas morning. We expect that Martha Stewart-esque gathering. We expect a gift from that special someone. And for many of us, we expect our lives to look a certain way. But what happens when life doesn’t meet our expectations? How can we have hope in something bigger than what we want or dream? And how can that hope in something bigger really affect our lives—for the better?

Session One Parent Sync: What are some of our family’s expectations around the holidays? Are they usually met or not? 

Week Three: Panoramic

The tendency for each one of us is to think we have God all figured out. But this week is about one simple truth—we don’t. This week we challenged students to see how the more they come to know God, the more they will realize they’ll never really know Him completely. There is always more of God to know. We focused on how sometimes, our Godview doesn't give others a clear Godview. One of the big questions was focused on how sometimes the way we treat people can actually push them away from God. At the close of this series, we have prayed that your student will walk away with the desire to pursue a relationship with God and to know God more every day. 

Week Three Parent Cue

DISCUSS:What is mysterious to you about God? Is it comforting or frightening to know there are things about God we don’t have figured out? Why or why not? 

EXTRA SYNC: Sometime this week, rent or borrow the movie "To Save A Life". After the movie, ask your teen who they know that needs Jesus and pray together for that person.

Session Two: Distorted

Session Two

Many of us have a distorted Godview because we think God’s primary goal is either for us to be good or for us to be happy. While there may be some truth in those statements, if we see those as His primary goals, then we walk through life with "un-Gospel"–and self-made–expectations. Then, when those expectations aren’t met, our faith is shattered and destroyed. This week, we Andrew challenged students to see that following God is bigger than our expectations. Following God requires surrendering control. God's primary goal is to be God... and our primary goal is to surrender to his control.

Session Two Parent Cue: When you sit down, when you go somewhere, just before bed or when they wake up, ask your teen: 

When you think about the things you pray for or about, or the verses you hang on to, or even the way you perceive God, are those all based on your own personal happiness? How would our prayers and likes look different if we were more concerned about surrendering control? 

Session One: Microscopic

Last Sunday, we found out that no matter who we are, we all have a Godview. And the way we think about God (our Godview) affects how we interact with our world. Many people struggle because they have a negative or distorted view of God. This first week, we took a look at the life of one of Jesus’ closest followers (Peter) who struggled for the very same reason. In the end, we challenged students to begin to see how their view of God shapes the way they live. 
This is where you come in. You, the parent, have a great opportunity to reinforce what we discussed on Sunday through an intentional discussion.


So here you go... your first PARENT SYNC:

Parent Sync: Both of you grab a piece of paper, and take three minutes to write down all the things that come to mind when you hear the word “God.” Both of you be honest, and don’t just write the words that you think you should. There’s no grade for this. 

If you can, comment to this sync and share with us what you and your teen wrote down. 

God View Intro

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about during the month of November. Listed below the summary is a “parent sync” to help you dialog with your teen about the sessions this month. On Mondays, I will post a review and a question that is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH you and your teen. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your teen, and allow your teen to see what God is teaching you as well.

GodView: THIS WEEK'S SYNC

Series Overview

Ask your teen (and share what you think... keep it simple): What comes to mind when you think about God? Who do you believe God is? How do you believe God interacts with you personally and with your world? 

Keep in mind... your teen may not have answers to these questions. This may feel strange to them (or even you) to discuss this together. That's OK. Keep at it for the month. Don't let the discomfort to keep you from asking these questions or discussing them. Also, this is one of the times when you not answering these questions could be wise. You are simply raising these questions (which we will be discussing for the month) and it's good for teens to wrestle with these for a while. 

Every one of us has a Godview whether we think about it or not. For many of us, it’s just a vague impression formed when we were younger. For some, it’s an image of someone against whom we have a strong resistance. For others, God is personal and mysterious, offering an adventure to anyone ready to pursue a relationship with Him. While we can never really know everything about God—because He’s that big and that mysterious—the things we can learn about Him shape the way we respond to whatever life brings. That’s why author A.W. Tozer said, 

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”