FAMILY MINISTRY NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 Messiah Lutheran Church & School Summer 2017 FAMILY MINISTRY NEWSLETTER Ready or Not, Summer is Coming! Dear Messiah Families Summer is just around the corner and the end of school is almost here. Are you ready? How does Summer Time change for you and your family as your schedules and activities change, and what do you enjoy most about this time? I pray that as your life transitions into the summer months that you are able to keep your eyes on Jesus who stays with us through Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall. As we move into the warmer months ahead, Messiah has several great opportunities for fun and spiritual renewal for you and your family. Please take a look at all these different events we have coming up and see what activities you can join us for. SUMMER VBS MIGHTY FORTRESS June 5th 9th are the dates for this year s Messiah VBS program. MIGHTY FORTRESS is the focus we will have as we explore what help and strength we receive with Christ in our life. Now is a good time to get your children registered for this event. We will also need plenty of help. If you can volunteer all week or just one or two days that would be great. Registration for your children or signing up to volunteer can all be done at messiahokc.org! RUNNING THE RAPIDS Do you presently have teenagers in your home? RUNNING THE RAPIDS is a DVD series with Dr. Kevin Leman which helps give parents some practical ideas on how to navigate through these fun and sometimes challenging years. Beginning May 21 this class will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:30am in the Church Chapel. Don t forget, we have classes for children from ages 2 years through the 12th grade each and every Sunday throughout the Summer. CAMP LUTHERHOMA Summer Camp Summer Camp opportunities are getting ready to begin. Our Lutheran Camp, CAMP LU- THERHOMA, offers something special for all ages. Included in this mailing are the dates of camp for this year. Summer Camp registration forms are available in the narthex of the church. Camp scholarships are available for families with multiple children attending camp and for those who need a little extra financial assistance. Family Fun Day with THE PANIC SQUAD Looking to liven up your summer with a fun evening of entertainment and laughs for the whole family? We have just the thing for you. On Sunday, June 25th, the Improv group THE PANIC SQUAD will be with us to make us laugh until our sides hurt. There will be food, games, a pie sale and much more. See the ad in this newsletter for more information. CELEBRATE THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REFORMATION During the month of July as our Messiah S.O.A.R. Committee is providing a special study series to help recognize the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. They are hosting a Summer Adult VBS series focusing on a special video series called A MAN NAMED MARTIN. Join this group Thursday mornings at 9:30am. We hope you and your family will join us for these special opportunities and events. If you have any questions about any of these upcoming activities, please feel free to give me a call at Yours In Christ, Myron Harms Director of Christian Education & Family Life INSIDE THIS ISSUE Camp Lutherhoma Schedule Teens and Snapchat Camp Lutherhoma Info Transform Your Marriage New Teen Parenting Class Coming Passing Your Faith to Your Kids VBS 2017 Registration Info Adult VBS 2017 Summer Youth & Family Fun Day UPCOMING SUNDAY PARENTING CLASS by Dr. Kevin Leman RUNNNING THE RAPIDS Helping your teen navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence STARTS Sunday May 21 9:30am-10:30am

2 For Social Media, Teens and College Students Favor Snapchat by Jim Liebelt *The following is excerpted from an online article posted on The Drum It may come as no surprise that Snapchat and Instagram have a solid lead over Facebook when it comes to the frequency that high school and college students use the social media channels, with young Snapchat users checking in at a rate of up to six times per day or more. An online study of college and high school students found that 88% use Instagram and Snapchat compared to 81% for Facebook. Twitter appears to trail on all fronts, with only 66% reporting use and fewer than 50% using it often. Further, students report lower usage of Tumblr, YouTube, and Pinterest. Snapchat is most valued for keeping in touch with friends (89%), sharing and creating videos, images and stories (56.8%). Further, 78% of students surveyed said they use Snapchat daily, compared to 76% for Instagram, and 66% for Facebook. 71% percent say they use Snapchat more than six times per day, and 51% note that they are on Snapchat more than 11 times per day. THE PANIC SQUAD Coming to: MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH in Oklahoma City You re Invited To our SUMMER YOUTH & FAMILY FUN DAY! Sunday, June 25 th FROM 3 TO 6PM SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! Food, Fun, Games, & 3:00pm in the East Parking Lot and in Schumacher Hall The Panic 4:00pm In Schumacher Hall ALL AGES WELCOME!!! COME JOIN US FOR FUN, LAUGHS, AND A GREAT TIME! Food and drinks available for purchase by our Messiah LWML To help with upcoming projects Students also report that they use up to five different social channels per day. With students mostly GenZ using up to five different screens over the course of the day and evening, it should be of no surprise that they are not married to just one platform, said Michael Cherenson, SCG s executive vice president for public relations. Marketers and brands must be agnostic when it comes to platform. This means being open to use of several social media networks, often in unique ways. Almost 90% of Snapchat users say they enjoy the Geo- Filters, while 85% say they like Snapchat Lenses. Students report little to no interest in ads that appear in stories. More than half of Snapchat users say they would feel disconnected from friends if not for Snapchat, which speaks volumes about the relationship students have with the platform and their peer networks, Cherenson said. Almost 25 percent indicated Snapchat is essential to their relationships. Jim is Senior Writer, Editor and Researcher for the Home- Word Center for Youth and Family To see the rest of the article go to: com/news/2017/04/13/study-teens-college-students-favor-snapchat-while-gen-z-spends-up-11-hours-day

3 CAMP LUTHERHOMA Early Pay Discount ends May 15! Summer Schedule DATE CAMP AGES June Force June Energy June Force June Serve June Day Camp June Mommy/Daddy & Me prek+parent June Force June Kinetic June Rock & Ride Adventure Trip July 2-6 Force July 2-6 Kinetic July 2-6 Day Camp July 9-14 Force July 9-14 Energy July Force July Dynamic Sept 1-4 Labor Day Family Camp GET YOUR COPY OF THE RIVERFRONT NEWS IN THE CHURCH LOBBY Camp scholarships are available, but are limited. Inquire early with Myron in the church office about financial assistance. 10 Ways to Transform Your Marriage by Jim Burns Too many couples settle for mediocrity in their marriage, when they would never settle for second best in other areas of their lives. A marriage that is a true union of souls a connection of love, respect, romance, and spiritual oneness sounds like a fairy tale. But it s possible to build such a relationship as you bring AWE Affection, Warmth, and Encouragement to your marriage. Showing affection, warmth, and encouragement to one s spouse may sound like a no-brainer. Yet with so many demands on their time and energy, many husbands and wives unintentionally neglect their relationship, suffering the effects of neglect, just the same. I know this because I ve been there. Years ago, my workaholic tendencies created a crisis in my marriage. Fortunately, my wife Cathy made me aware of what was happening to us. Together, we developed a three-point plan to help bring our marriage back to a healthier place: a non-negotiable date night each week; being away from home only three nights a Family week; and giving Cathy veto power over my schedule. Other couples may need different plans, with five, ten, or twenty agreed-upon principles. The point is to be intentional about marriage making it a top priority. Here are ten strategies that can transform your marriage. 1. Adjust your attitude. You might not be able to change your spouse, but you can change your attitude, and it just may make a world of difference in your marriage. 2. Show affection and warmth. Simple words and actions that demonstrate your love for your spouse can change your spouse s mood and the atmosphere in your home. 3. Offer encouragement. It takes nine affirming comments to make up for one critical comment. If you are like most people, you owe your spouse a boatload of encouragement. Watch for opportunities (and then take them!) to give your husband or wife an affirming word. Continued on next page

4 continued from previous page 4. Give sexual intimacy the time and attention it deserves. Are you too tired to work on this? Then your priorities are in the wrong place. Find at least two hours per week to spend on romance and intimacy. And flirt with your spouse reminding him or her that he or she is still the apple of your eye. 5. Be friends with your spouse. The basic principles of friendship should also apply to marriage, too: friends tend to have more patience with each other; they extend grace, forgiveness, and kindness towards one another; and they have fun together. 6. Schedule (yes, schedule!) more fun in your marriage. Look for creative date ideas don t just go out for dinner and a movie. Your willingness to put some thought into enjoyable, out-of the-ordinary things to do together will speak volumes to your spouse. 7. Practice thank therapy. Sit down today and list at least twenty reasons why you are grateful for your spouse. 8. Accept that not all problems are resolvable. Some problems will always be in our lives in one form or another. Compromise and find a workable solution you can both live with. 9. Nurture spiritual growth. Start by praying daily for your spouse and your relationship. Besides attending worship services together, develop a regular time to practice spiritual disciplines such as devotions, bible study, prayer, and reading. 10. Review and renew your marriage vows. Vow renewal ceremonies are often more meaningful than the wedding. Reviewing and renewing your vows will move you toward spiritual intimacy as you read over your vows, you will be surprised to see how often the AWE factor is present in the words, symbols, and the ceremony itself. Jim Burns is President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. Jim speaks to thousands of people around the world each year.

5 How to Pass Your Faith to Your Kids by Jim Burns With all the great children and youth programs within churches today, many parents allow churches to take the wheel when it comes to their kids spiritual development while they take a more passive role. We can easily become convinced that it s the church s job to help our kids grow spiritually, not ours. Yet, guess what? God specifically places the responsibility for nurturing a child s spiritual development on parents not the church! In the Bible, in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, we read, These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. While our churches serve to partner with us in this great task of spiritually nurturing our kids, God has given us parents both the responsibility and the tremendous opportunity to pass our faith to our kids. Still, I understand that many parents find it hard to talk to their kids about God and spiritual issues. So, here are some practical suggestions about how to get started. 1) Be yourself. You don t need a seminary degree to talk to your kids about God. So, be yourself! Share your understanding of who God is and why God matters to you in a way that reflects the real you. 2) Don t limit your conversations on spiritual matters to Sunday morning! This is not to say that Sunday morning is off-limits for spiritual discussions, but don t get caught in the trap of compartmentalizing faith issues Continued on next page COMING IN JULY! A Special 5-part Study on Martin Luther A Man Named Martin - The Man In this five-session Bible study, Luther's life and times are examined through the lens of history, religion and theology. Expanding on commentary from Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour, numerous scholars add their expertise and perspective to render an illuminating portrait of the life of this extraordinary human being. The influence and impact of Luther's life is the stuff of serious study. As a forlorn sinner feeling lost and desperate before a stern and exacting Judge, Luther desponded of all hope for eternity. But as one who came to cling to the Spirit-delivered truths of justification by faith and the liberty believers experience by God's grace, he rebounded to become a triumphant ambassador for the Gospel. JOIN US FOR OUR SENIOR VBS THIS SUMMER IN JULY & AUGUST Thursday Mornings at 9:30am on July 6 th, 13 th, 20 th, & 27 th and Aug. 3 rd (In the South Pod) A Man Named Martin - The Man Contact Myron at mharms@messiahokc.org or by phone at for more information.

6 to the days your family attends church services. Let your kids know that spiritual issues are important in your life all the time! This is exactly what the quote from Deuteronomy is talking about: talking about God when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up! Spirituality is to be part of an ongoing discussion in our homes, with our families! 3) Let your kids catch you in the act of doing something spiritual. Do you have a regular devotional time where you read the Bible and pray that you spend with God? Do your kids know it? How about letting your kids see you engaging in your own spiritual disciplines? Don t forget that your actions will teach your kids a lot about your faith probably even more than your words! 4) Look for natural opportunities to raise spiritual issues. This takes intentional work by parents to be on the lookout for opportunities along the road of life, where issues almost beg to be discussed in light of our Christian commitment and faith. Many opportunities will arise as your kids watch you live life. How do you, for example, demonstrate your faith when some jerk cuts you off on the highway? Perhaps, depending on your reaction, this may be a time to discuss the issues of revenge or forgiveness! 5) Take the posture of a fellow-learner as opposed to that of a teacher. Being a fellow-learner takes the pressure off you to send the message that you know it all (and your kids will already know this isn t true). When discussing spiritual issues, you will most likely hear a question from your adolescent that you can t answer. It s fine to say, I don t know. Let s work on finding the answer together. 6) Utilize media to launch discussions about God and the Christian life. While much of today s media is negative in its influence and portrayals of values, it can provide a launching pad for discussion of how Christian values compare to whatever is seen, heard, or read. 7) Have a plan for family devotional and prayer times. First, find a devotional book, sign-up for HomeWord s Daily Devotional, or pick up a copy of my book, Faith Conversations for Families. Then, create a plan (daily, weekly, at certain mealtimes for example) and stick to it. Build the habit so your kids learn, this is what we do as a family. 8) Have fun with your kids! Unfortunately, too many kids are taught through role modeling of their parents and other adults at church, that Christianity means being grumpy and bored. Perhaps one of the most spiritual things you can do for your kids spiritual growth is to model for them that the Christian life is filled with love, peace, and joy! So, plan intentionally fun times for your family. Let them know that the Christian life can be fun! 9) Get involved in ministry together as a family. The call to Christ is the call to serve. You can communicate a lot about your faith in Christ by your willingness to serve; by being involved in ministry. For years, successful youth ministries have known that getting kids involved in ministry and service results in spiritual growth and in bonding together the youth group community. Do you know what? The same benefits will occur within families when they serve together! 10) Disciple and equip your kids. Actively participate in teaching your kids about God and what living the Christian life looks like. Why not do a weekly Bible study together with your son or daughter? Ask your children s pastor, youth pastor, or leaders for ideas for Bible study material. They ll never be able to use all the materials that are available to them, and they ll be thrilled to help you! Jim Burns is President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. Jim speaks to thousands of people around the world each year.