ThePARENTLink helping parents better connect with their teens October 2012 Bible Focus Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:20-21 (NIV) Teach Wise Stewardship Finances are a stressor for more than just adults these days. Teenagers are increasingly nervous about job prospects and paying for college. Yet many parents avoid serious conversations about money, dreading them as much as talks about the birds and the bees. The discussions can t wait, though. Contrary to what many kids think, there isn t a magical age when people need to be fiscally responsible. Young people can learn early on to honor God with their time, talents, and treasures and can discover the blessings he promises when we give from the heart. Jesus taught about money more than any other topic and those teachings go against the world s views. Jesus wants us to be free from the trappings of wealth and materialism yet rich with life, joy, favor, and relationships. As Doug Fields says in a sermon featured in Backward$ (Simply Youth Ministry), God doesn t need your money. God needs your heart. Tithing, or giving ten percent of our income, is one way to lessen money s grip and honor God. By tithing, Field s says, we proclaim the following three things: 1. I am thankful for God s gifts, his love, and Jesus sacrifice for me. 2. I am yours, God and I m showing you where my heart is. 3. I trust you and I m going to turn my back on the world s ways. Practical Help Tips, statistics, and.02 discussion questions to help you connect with your teenagers Going Deeper.03 Insight on helping teens realize what they ve got and how to give Media Spotlight.04 Information on some of the current musicians, popular movies, and hottest games available this month DGYM Calendar.05 Cardboard Box City, Bowling, Scarywood, Trunk-or-Treat, and MORE! Join us as we grow and serve together!
TIPS Financial experts advise parents to follow these money-management strategies with their kids: Help young people develop and stick to a budget. Then pay kids an allowance that covers all the necessities. Don t buy stuff for kids that they should pay for themselves. Let them experience the consequences of poor budgeting. Give out allowance only once a month. This teaches kids how to budget over long periods of time. Don t pay kids for doing regular expected chores. You can, however, provide a financial incentive for taking on extra duties. Monitor how much money kids are saving. Help them stay on track for big expenses such as college. Don t pay for good grades. Instead, encourage kids to do the best they can and to feel rewarded by their accomplishments. Don t tell kids how much you earn. It s best to maintain some personal boundaries and authority. Model stewardship. Attitudes about finances are contagious. Let kids see you giving generously and cheerfully, and they will follow suit. THE VIEW 35% of parents say they re reluctant to discuss smart spending strategies with kids. 61% default to a casual talk about money matters. - billmyparents.com 80% of teenagers get more than $100 per month in allowance. Almost all kids say they have to do household chores for it. - billmyparents.com 64% of teenagers say the recent recession has made them more grateful for what they have. - aboutschwab.com 85% of 2011 college graduates intended to move back home. - Twenty Something Inc. P O N D E R T H I S... How would you describe your relationship with money? How might it be affecting your relationship with God? What are the most important things you want to teach your kids about money, and how are you doing that? How can you be a better steward of your own time, talents, and treasures? P. 02 THE PARENT LINK OCTOBER 2012
Give It Away Expert Insight for Parents of Teenagers In the downloadable sermon series Backward$, Josh Griffin ponders the rewards of giving: A few years ago, our family was robbed. The monthly cleaning service that I gave my wife as a birthday gift cleaned us out. They took everything. Eventually, we received an insurance check, but before I got home from work that evening, my wife had given it all away. She donated 10 percent to the church and then gave the rest to a group that rescues child prostitutes. She viewed the robbery as an answer to prayer because it allowed her to help exploited kids! That s backwards thinking, but it s what Jesus teaches. He says the way to live a rich, full, abundant, and meaningful life is to give as much away as possible. Another backward approach that s relevant to teenagers, who are just starting out financially, is stated in Matthew 25:23. Jesus says when you have a little, be responsible with what you ve been given and God will bless you with far more. If you want to have more, then be trustworthy with what you have. Teenagers can start by giving something whether it s a portion of their allowance or the change they accumulate each week. Next, they can discover their SHAPE, which stands for Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. Basically, it s who God made you to be. Discovering your SHAPE is a great way to use the talents and gifts God has given you to serve other people. Financially, young people can give their time. When we serve, we re the most like Jesus. So help kids ask, Who needs my time? Resources are opportunities. Every dollar that ends up in your wallet or purse is an opportunity. Every moment of time is an opportunity. Your talents are an opportunity. So start thinking backwards about everything God has given you. Resource Source In Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness (Simply Youth Ministry), Joshua Becker walks through the Bible s teachings about possessions, challenging people to spend their hours, energy, and resources in ways that draw them closer to the heart of Jesus. Group Publishing. August 15, 2012. $7.99 on Amazon P. 03 THE PARENT LINK OCTOBER 2012
This page is designed to inform and educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any music, movie, or video game. Our prayer is that you will make informed decisions on what your kids listen to, watch, and play. M TAYLOR SWIFT EDIA SPOTLIGHT MAINSTREAM MUSIC POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC MOVIES Background: Swift has accomplished a great deal in her 22 years including being the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony publishing house. She s received many awards, including six Grammy Awards, and has been involved with numerous charities. Many of Swift s songs deal with love, feelings, and broken relationships. She has dated many celebrities, and the breakups have created great fodder for her songs. (Her latest number-one single, for example, is titled We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. ) Swift s honesty and catchy lyrics resonate greatly with teenage girls. Albums: Red (2012), Speak Now (2010), Fearless (2008), Taylor Swift (2006) What Swift Says: When discussing how much money she gives away to various causes, Swift says, I get to take care of the people that I love, and I like spreading it around. Like my Dad says, You can t take it with you when you go. Explore: Swift s entire catalog is available to listen to on Spotify. ANBERLIN Background: This rock band, formed in 2002, is now on a major label and more popular than ever. Anberlin combines rock, alt-rock, acoustic, and emo into a hookladen stew. They re involved with social-justice causes, including Faceless International, an organization that lead singer Stephen Christian founded to raise awareness of human trafficking and other issues. Albums: Vital (2012), New Surrender (2008), Never Take Friendship Personal (2003) What Anberlin Says: Singer Stephen Christian doesn t call Anberlin a Christian band. But he says his faith affects every single aspect of my life. He adds, I m not a preacher, I m an entertainer. Explore: Anberlin s albums are available on Spotify including Blueprints for City Friendships, a three-cd anthology. Many of the band s videos can be viewed on YouTube. Movie: Frankenweenie Genre: Animation, Comedy Rating: PG (for thematic elements, scary images, and action) Synopsis: After a young boy loses his dog, he uses the power of science to bring his beloved pal back to life. He tries to keep the creation under wraps, but soon the whole town wants to use his technology for their gain. Our Take: Director Tim Burton has a slightly twisted but compelling style. This will likely be a great movie for junior higher, full of weird humor and unique characters. Movie: Silent Hill: Revelation Genre: Horror, Thriller Rating: R (for violence and disturbing images, some language, brief nudity) Synopsis: A young girl, on the run with her father most of her life, is tormented by terrible visions and dreams. Her father disappears, and she s enters a demonic world that threatens to separate them forever. Our Take: This film is loosely based on the Silent Hill video games, which are full of disturbing and sexual horror elements. Please don t let your kids see this. www.pluggedinonline.com for more info! VIDEO GAMES Resident Evil 6 (Rated M) This long-running franchise has moved away from its scary, survival-horror roots toward more action with some scary elements. Publisher Capcom promises this game will be a combination of the two styles. Stuff that remains, though, includes blood, gore, language, and nudity. Assassin s Creed III (Rated M) The fifth game in this popular franchise is set during the American Revolution. While the graphics, details, and gameplay are excellent, the series takes every opportunity to bash the Catholic church for sake of its assassin vs. templar plotline. It doesn t just attack corrupt people within the church, but paints the entire faith as corrupt. P. 04 www.esrb.org for details on game ratings. THE PARENT LINK OCTOBER 2012
Happy Birthday! October 10 Josh Rude October 12 Lyric Mood October 18 Vanessa Toombs October 21 Tymme McCracken October 22 Tucker Forbush
NEWS and NOTES Bible Readers Breakfast All High School students are encouraged to come start your morning off with some meat from God s word and bacon or sausage too! We ll meet on Tuesdays at 7:00am at the McDonalds on Appleway for a time of Bible reading before heading off to school. You ll be responsible for your own breakfast if you re hungry. Gripped For the month of October our youth group class will be back out in the Youth Barn from 6:30 until 7:30pm. We ll be talking about the many ways we can be gripped by fear, looking at some Biblical examples of people who overcame their fears, and learning how God doesn t want us to be afraid. We ll start each class with some kind of goofy activity and even watch some cheesy videos to help tie everything together. Bring your friends!!! Game Day All 6th-12th graders are invited to join us for some fun on your day off from school. We ll be in the Youth Barn from 10:00am until 3:00pm for a board game and card game extravaganza! Bring $5 to help pay for food and drinks and I m counting on you to bring some fun board games too. Cardboard Box City Everyone is encouraged to participate in this great event to help raise funds for Family Promise. Each participant needs a minimum of 5 sponsors in order to participate (10 sponsors or $100 gets you a t-shirt!). We will meet at the Lake City Community Church at 5:00pm to begin setting up our houses for the night (bring your own cardboard!). Dinner will be provided at 6:00pm with some activities and concerts to follow before everyone crashes for the night. Please see Jeff if you would like a pledge folder or more information. Middle School Bowling All 6th-8th graders are invited to join us for a fun night out at the bowling lanes. We ll meet at the church building at 6:00pm then head over to Triple Play (eat dinner before you come!). You ll need to bring around $20 which will cover a couple of games of bowling plus give you some extra money for a snack or arcade game. Parents can pick their kids up at Triple Play at 9:00pm, or better yet just stay and play with us! High School @ Scarywood All 9th-12th graders are invited to join us for a night of thrills and chills! We ll meet at the church parking lot at 6:00pm and be back home possibly around 1:30am! Dress warmly! You ll be responsible for getting your own ticket unless we have enough participants in which case we can get a special group rate. Sign up on the youth board if you plan to go with us IF YOU DARE! Trunk-or-Treat Everyone is encouraged to help us with this great outreach opportunity. Whether you want to bring your car to our lineup and pass out candy from your trunk, help serve free hotdogs, or just mingle with our guests, there s something for you to do. Come join the fun as we offer a safe alternative to our community. Stay tuned for more details. COMING SOON Girls Day Out, Hockey Night, Hobbit Movie Night! We re sorry to announce that the Apple Cider Press Youth Rally was CANCELLED this year due to wildfires and smoke levels in the Cashmere area. Please pray for those who have been affected and continue to deal with this tragedy.