Reaching Up, Reaching Around, and Reaching Out. To All Parents Out There,

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1 The Student Ministry of NEPC values a Gospel-Centered ministry where students can: Experience God s Love and Express Love to God and Others THE PARENTLINK JANUARY 2014 The Student Ministry of NEPC exists to see students: Reaching Up, Reaching Around, and Reaching Out To All Parents Out There, Happy New Year! I pray that your 2014 is off to a great start! I love New Year s because it reminds me of God s mercies, they are new every morning according to Lamentations and they are certainly new each year. It is a time of reflection on the past, gratitude to the Lord for His work in and around your life and hopefully, motivation to grow in your faith more and more in the year to come. This month s Parent Link is all about helping your kids connect to Jesus. I pray you will take time to read the articles, be motivated to lead your teens to Jesus and be mobilized to take action in that direction. As a Student Ministry we are kicking the year off by connecting your teens to Jesus. We are going to do that by spending time looking at the issue of Social Justice. We will kick off SM LIVE Wednesday, Jan. 8 by seeing from Psalm 99 that God is just, loves justice and creates us to do justly in the world around us. In the following weeks we will have 3 guest speakers talking about social justice issues with our teens. Courtney Fain will talk with the High School students about Human Trafficking, Craig Currey will talk about homelessness in Columbia and Abby Cobb will talk about homelessness, hunger and poverty in the Richland 2 School District. This will run simultaneously with Souper Bowl of Caring where we will collect canned goods for the Richland 2 School District food pantries. The Gospels portray a picture of Jesus who had compassion for the least and the lost and He Himself met many needs, both physical and spiritual during his ministry. Prayerfully, by seeking to serve in the way of Jesus, we can connect with Him in a more deeply personal way. As we move forward know that you, your kids and your families are in our prayers. Above all, we pray that 2014 will be a year of treasuring Jesus more! Grace for the journey, Jason E. Pittman Director of Student Ministries of NEPC We are on Facebook! Go to Student Ministry of NEPC High School or Student Ministry of NEPC Middle School Follow us on Twitter! Go Get updates via SMS by texting follow NEPCStudents to 40404

2 NEPCPARENTLINK January 2014 FOR PARENTS OF TEENS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON Of all the resolutions your family could draft for 2014, the most important is to center your lives around Jesus Christ. In 99 Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living (Simply Youth Ministry), Rick Lawrence provides practices for changing how you relate to Jesus. One involves chewing on deep questions. Below are examples of questions your family can ponder together this year: Which word best describes how you see Jesus: nice, fierce, or mysterious? Jesus said he s the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). So why do we often believe that being a good person is how we get to heaven? Today, how has Jesus been your way, truth, or life? What s the difference, if any, between loving Jesus for who he is and for what he can do? What s one thing about Jesus that makes you grateful? How can you live in the spirit of Jesus and do something kind for a fringe person the kind Jesus was drawn to? (insert logo or text here) THE VIEW Ponder these findings about people s focus and priorities: Teenagers say their top need is help building a positive relationship with God. Group magazine Personal activities, hobbies, hanging out with friends, and earning money come well ahead of evangelism as priorities for the average Christian teenager. Dare 2 Share If you sat next to Jesus on a plane, what are the first three questions you think he d ask you (besides your name)? Today, what s one question you d like Jesus to ask you? Only 12% of American adults say faith is a top priority in their lives. Barna Group TIPS >>> PONDER THIS Use these orbital questions from 99 Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living for holidays this year: New Year s Day Most good friendships are based on mutual giving. It s easy to understand what Jesus offers us, but what do we have to offer Jesus that he doesn t already have? (Read John 15:14-15.) Valentine s Day Jesus never married, and there s no indication he was romantically interested in anyone, but do you think he ever flirted with a girl? Why or why not? Easter Sometimes people who don t believe in Jesus say the biblical accounts about him were made up by the Bible s authors. What s something Jesus said or did that no one could ve made up? Independence Day Jesus often withdrew by himself to spend time alone; why do you think he needed so much alone time? Halloween If Jesus were a little boy now, would he go trick-ortreating? Why or why not? If he did, what costume would he wear? Thanksgiving Jesus is preparing a special room in his Father s house for each of us. What do you think your room will look like? What do you hope it has in it? Why would Jesus put that in your room? Advent If Jesus were a little boy now, would his parents take him to see Santa? What might he ask for? What types of things would you say your life is centered around? What would you have to change to center your life around Jesus more? How can your family focus on Jesus and faith during the upcoming year?

3 GET TO KNOW JESUS Expert Insights for Parents of Teenagers By Brian Berry Psychologists say all of us hold on to mental models of people we know. Due to the overwhelming amount of information our brains must organize, we tend to defend the established way we see something or someone. Even when we get new information that challenges our mental model, we hang on to what we ve come to believe is the truth. RESOURCE A great example of this is Richard Jewell, a private security guard at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He discovered a pipe bomb, alerted police, and helped evacuate the area before the bomb went off. In the media, he was initially celebrated as a hero. But the FBI grew suspicious and pointed to Jewell as a suspect. Though he was never charged with a crime, the cloud of suspicion around Jewell gave people a mental model of him as a terrorist even after the real bomber admitted the crime. This dynamic explains why few of us have an accurate grasp of Jesus. Once our understanding of him is established, we tend to ignore or tune out new information that doesn t fit. One way to get rid of these mental models of Jesus is to blow them up, as if we were demolition experts. Ask these three questions whenever you read anything about Jesus in the Bible: 1. What did Jesus really say? (What was the context of his remarks who was he speaking to, where was he speaking, and why was he speaking?) 2. What did Jesus really do? (In the context of normal behavior in Jesus culture, what impact both positive and negative did his actions have on people who heard him?) 3. How did people really experience Jesus? (What array of emotional reactions did people have to Jesus, and why do you think they reacted that way?) 99 Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living Proof, a six-lesson study on the gospel of John, explores the question Who is Jesus? It encourages kids and families to understand the awesome privilege of knowing and being known by Jesus. Available at SimplyYouthMinistry.com. BIBLE FOCUS Jesus asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:13-16

4 MEDIA SPOTLIGHT MAINSTREAM MUSIC EMINEM Background: From Detroit s underground rap scene, Eminem climbed his way to become the best-selling artist of the 2000s. But controversy has always dogged him. One of his first hits was a song about taking his infant daughter to dispose of his wife s body. Eminem s lyrics are very raw, with language, imagery, and subjects that teenagers shouldn t be exposed to. He s had problems with prescription drugs and alcohol but became sober about five years ago. Albums: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013), Recovery (2010), The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) What Eminem Says: About using homophobic slurs, he says, I never really equated those words [with homosexuality]. That word was just thrown around so freely back then. It goes back to that battle, back and forth in my head, of wanting to feel free to say what I want to say, and then [worrying about] what may or may not affect people. Explore: The explicit video for Eminem s new song Berzerk is available here: v=ab9176srb5y CHRISTIAN MUSIC SWITCHFOOT Background: Although Switchfoot dislikes being called a Christian band, their faith shines through in all they do. Their catchy songs have in-yourface lyrics, and this lack of sugarcoating seems to contribute to their popularity. Switchfoot s music has been featured in TV ads and movies, and they ve garnered many awards. The latest album also serves as the soundtrack of a documentary about the band, which loves to surf. Albums: Fading West (2014), Vice Verses (2011), Hello Hurricane (2009), The Beautiful Letdown (2003) What Switchfoot Says: Singer Jon Foreman says, None of these songs has been born again, and to that end there is no such thing as Christian music. No. Christ didn t come and die for my songs; he came for me. Explore: You can read more of that insightful interview here: why-switchfoot-wont-singchristian-songs/ MOVIES Movie: I, Frankenstein Genre: Action, Horror Rating: PG-13 Synopsis: This film is based on a graphic novel, where gargoyles and demons fight for power. Somehow this is related to Frankenstein and his creation, Adam. Our Take: This is from the same people who made the Underworld films. Those weren t good movies for teenagers, so we d advise caution. Movie: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Genre: Action, Adventure, Suspense Rating: Not yet rated (likely PG -13) Synopsis: This new film is a reboot of author Tom Clancy s Jack Ryan character. Here Ryan (Chris Pine) uncovers a financial terrorist plot. Our Take: With Clancy s recent death, there might be more press and hype surrounding this film. In the past, these have been welldone and action-packed. VIDEO GAMES Doki-Doki Universe This adventure game looks strange, weird, and wonderful. You re a robot on a mission to learn what it really means to be human. The game claims that players will learn something about themselves, too. (Rated E10; PS3, PS4, Vita) The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds This new take on the classic game incorporates some 3D elements. Link can also go to 2D and hop onto walls to solve puzzles. (Rated E; 3DS)

5 The Student Ministry of NEPC exists to see students: Reaching Up, Reaching Around, and Reaching Out SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Gearing up for the 2014 Souper Bowl of Caring. January 15: Human Trafficking Guest Speaker Courtney Fain January 22: Homelessness in Columbia Guest Speaker Craig Currey January 29: Poverty in Richland 2 Guest Speaker Abby Cobb Contribute your canned goods to the Middle School vs High School canned food drive. Winner of the collection receives a pizza party! Participate in the NEPC Soup Kitchen on Jan 29. Free soup and sandwich dinner with donations going to the Souper Bowl of Caring collection. Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday collection is Sunday February 2. All proceeds will benefit a local Columbia charity. Get involved and make a difference in your local community! The Student Ministry of NEPC values a Gospel-Centered ministry where students can: Experience God s Love and Express Love to God & Others