THEPARENTLINK March 2014 TIPS >>> FOR PARENTS OF TEENS SPUR KIDS TO GROW DOWN With spring s arrival, talk turns to growth and new life. And as graduation nears, teenagers come face to face with the prospect of what they want to be when they grow up. But Ken Castor, author of the new book Grow Down: How to Build a Jesus-Centered Faith (Simply Youth Ministry), says we re focusing on the wrong kind of growth. The goal, he says, is to grow down into Jesus and then draw up from his unlimited resources so we can go out into the world with an abundance of life (see Colossians 2:6-7). Contrary to popular belief, growing up doesn t guarantee maturity. And God actually created people to remain dependent on him. A mature faith is childlike, pure, and trusting and, as a result, powerful. And the process is never complete. God doesn t care how old you are, Castor writes. God wants every person, at every moment of life, to be learning. A disciple doesn t stop growing in Jesus. When young people are rooted in Christ, they can draw up his strength to stand firm against life s many storms. They ll start looking like Jesus in how they live and act. And they ll be able to go out into life with thanksgiving and fruitfulness. Faith is a collective, corporate experience, Castor writes. So when parents transfer their faith to their kids, they empower a new generation to share the Gospel and to encourage one another in Christ. (insert logo or text here) THE VIEW Group Magazine asked almost 23,000 teenagers about possible impediments in their faith journey. Top responses included: I wish I knew a lot more about how to actually have a day-to-day relationship with Jesus that made a difference in my real life. The greatest pressures I face are all somehow connected to relationships. Christianity, in the end, is mainly about being a good person. I have lots of doubts about my faith and often wonder if everything I say I believe is true. There are many things in the Bible that I have a hard time believing. Bad news happening around the world really undermines my faith in God. PONDER THIS Author Ken Castor offers nine ways to grow down in Jesus: 1. Pray. Just start talking with God all the time in your own words about everything in your life. Also pray with other Christians at least once a week. 2. Read the Bible. Start reading, whether it s in Psalms, Mark, or Philippians. Also study the Bible with other Christians at least once a week. 3. Talk about your faith. Share Jesus with people who know him and people who don t. Ask God for courage, wisdom, and a heart for others. 4. Go on a mission trip. Step out and experience what God is doing in other places among people who are different from you. 5. Worship. Be sure to worship God every day, spontaneously or through devotional times. And gather each week to worship with other Christians. 6. Appreciate creation. Being in awe of God s work helps you remember the care he has for you. 7. Serve others. Jesus came to serve, so a Jesus-centered person serves, too. Do things without needing to be asked or noticed and do them in the name of Jesus. 8. Teach younger people about Jesus. That s a great way to keep learning yourself. 9. Read and explore. Join a small group to help grow your faith. How has your faith changed as you ve grown up? How might you need to grow down? What are some ways you re rooted in Jesus? How has that helped you face life s storms? What are some intentional steps you ve taken to transfer your faith to your kids?
THE ROLE OF PARENTS Expert Insights for Parents of Teenagers By Rick Lawrence Reports of decline, not growth, are flying about the American church. But researchers at Focus on the Family are saying not so fast to conventional wisdom. In a report titled Millennial Participation and Retention, they shed some light on what s really happening. Only 11 percent of young adults who say they ve left their faith report that they ever had a strong faith as a child. The other 89 percent say they never had a strong faith in the first place. Not surprisingly, homes modeling lukewarm faith do not create enduring faith in children, the report notes. Homes modeling vibrant faith do. So these young adults are leaving RESOURCE So these young something they never had a good grasp of in the first place. This is not a crisis of faith, per se, but of parenting. The simple translation? Kids who grow up with a weak faith are much more likely to walk away from it as they get older. The report quotes respected Notre Dame sociologist Dr. Christian Smith, writing in Souls in Transition: Religious outcomes in emerging adulthood flow quite predictably from formative religious influences that shape persons lives in early years Religious commitments, practices, and investments made during childhood and the teenage years, by parents and others in families and religious communities, matter they make a difference. Here are the takeaways: Kids who develop a strong faith as children tend to hang onto it as they grow up. Simple church attendance is no indicator of a faith that can weather the storms of growing up. Parents who are intentional about modeling and seeding a growing faith in their kids are the key catalysts. Smith says the most important pastor a child will ever have in their life is a parent. Group Magazine Growing U (Simply Youth Ministry) is a discipleship curriculum that helps junior highers grow in four critical faithdevelopment areas: Scripture, evangelism, quiet time, and giving. The CD-ROM contains five small-group lessons for introducing the concepts. Growing U was created by junior high ministry veteran Kurt Johnston. BIBLE FOCUS I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT MAINSTREAM MUSIC ED SHEERAN Background: The 23-year-old Brit gained popularity while touring with Taylor Swift last year. (Rumors briefly swirled that the two were dating.) Sheeran s hits include The A Team and Lego House. This year, he received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Sheeran once performed a concert to benefit street sex workers, saying they re real people with real emotions, and they deserve the same charity work as anyone else. Albums: = (2014), + (2011) What Sheeran Says: Of his appearance, Sheeran says, I ve had years of teasing about my red hair, but I definitely think it toughened me up. If you re ginger, you end up pretty quickwitted. I do like my hair. It took a while to come around to the fact that it was quite a unique value point. Explore: Sheeran s single I See Fire appeared in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch? v=uf8fwiy0bkcvideos are also available of Sheeran debuting Tenerife Sea, a song from his new album, at Madison Square Garden. CHRISTIAN MUSIC JASON GRAY Background: Gray, 42, had a rough childhood but became a Christian at age 15. He was a youth minister for six years before pursuing a music career. His hits include Nothing Is Wasted and Good to Be Alive. Gray, who s toured and collaborated with a variety of Christian artists, has been called one of the genre s best-kept secrets. Gray has a speech disorder, and many of his songs focus on finding strength in weakness. Albums: Love Will Have the Final Word (2014), A Way to See in the Dark (2011) What Gray Says: In the church, people can be tempted to think they ve arrived or found the answers, and so they cease to be curious or fall into self-righteousness. These are the things I most like trying to address in my music. Explore: A lyric video for Gray s new single, With Every Act of Love, is available at www.jasongraymusic.com/ MOVIES Movie: Divergent Genre: Sci-fi, adventure Rating: Not yet rated (likely PG-13) Synopsis: Based on Veronica Roth s best-selling trilogy, this film is set in a futuristic dystopia. Tris (Shailene Woodley), who doesn t fit into any faction, uncovers a sinister plot about her society. You Should Know: As in The Hunger Games, a love story is linked to Tris journey. Movie: Noah Genre: Biblical epic Rating: Not yet rated Synopsis: The OT hero (Russell Crowe) has visions of a deluge and takes measures to protect his family. You Should Know: Producer Scott Franklin says they had to take some creative expression with Noah s story but tried to stay true to it. VIDEO GAMES Divinity: Original Sin This RPG adventure, which was funded through a Kickstarter campaign, allows players to make their own combat adventures. (Rating pending; Windows) Shovel Knight This throwback to 8-bit classic games also owes its existence to Kickstarter. The fearless hero wields only a shovel to dig for treasure and defeat enemies. (Rating pending; 3DS, WiiU, Windows)
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