John Piper sets the tone for the Christmas Season!
Generation Z… The Homelander Generation
Generation Z represents the batch of students born after 2001. This means YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLER!
Find out what research is saying about who they are… as well as how we can lead them.
- Instant Access – Google Reflex =look things up immediately and instantly
- New Normal – Growing Up in Post 911 age with terrorism as common place, along with the current racial unrest, economic low and uncertainty in their world.
- On Demand – Netflix, Hulu, Watch and entertain NOW, instead of waiting later
- Multicultural – 50% increase in mixed ethnic races
the 62 Worst and Weirdest Nativities (the 2015 revised list!) | whyismarko
MARKO is a Youth Ministry GURU and also specialist in finding the WORST or WEIRDEST NATIVITIES!
Yup, I’ve seen the Coke can nativity. And I’ve seen the one with the pack of Camel cigs. And the live dogs posed as a nativity. And, yeah, the many glorious combinations of Barbies and Godzillas and just about everything else. But they’re not on my list of the XX Worst and Weirdest Nativities. That’s…
Source: the 62 Worst and Weirdest Nativities (the 2015 revised list!) | whyismarko
Unexpected: Middle School Christmas Series
Unexpected: Series Overview
When it comes to Christmas, there is a lot to look forward to. Candy canes, tinsel, twinkling lights, and—oh, right. The gifts. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about the gifts you’re hoping to receive this Christmas. Maybe you’ve even made a list so your friends and family know exactly what to give you. But while it’s fun to unwrap a gift you’ve been waiting and hoping for, have you ever been given a gift that took you entirely by surprise? A gift you didn’t even know you wanted until you opened it? A gift that was completely unexpected? Unexpected gifts have been at the heart of the Christmas story for more than two thousand years, beginning with the very first Christmas. And believe it or not, it was God who began the tradition. For the next few weeks, we’ll talk about three times God surprised the world with a gift that was entirely unexpected. And, as we do, we might just discover how much those gifts continue to matter today.
SESSION 1: SILENT TREATMENT (November 29)
BOTTOM LINE: God is with you.
SCRIPTURE: “… And Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.” MATTHEW 1:1-16 (NIV)
“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son.” GALATIANS 4:4 (NIV)
SESSION 2: BY MY SIDE (December 6)
BOTTOM LINE: Jesus gets you.
SCRIPTURE: “…She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.’” MATTHEW 1:20-23 (NLT)
“[He] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do.” HEBREWS 4:15 (NLT)
SESSION 3: POWER SOURCE (December 13)
BOTTOM LINE: The Holy Spirit helps you.
SCRIPTURE: “‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’” MATTHEW 28:18-20 (NIV)
“‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.’” JOHN 14:15-17A (NIV)
Soul Fuel: “Agents” Against a Spiritual SPECTRE
“Agents” Against a Spiritual SPECTRE
Bond…James Bond.
Wouldn’t you love to introduce yourself that way? Or at least meet Agent 007, the legendary character who has inspired 23 films over the last 50 years!
Think about it, if you are a teenager, then your grandparents probably went to see a Bond movie back in the day. And as well, the original actor who played the first Bond (Sean Connery) could BE your grandpa!
But here we are in 2015, with Daniel Craig’s steely blue-eyed gaze that penetrates the hearts of the good, the bad and the ugly in his explosion-a-minute world. In this latest release, he comes face to face with an organization called SPECTRE, which stands for: Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.
You gotta give these guys props for being very straightforward with their motives — right? Basically this is a global terrorist organization with no political alliances made up of characters from The Gestapo, The Mafia, drug cartels and a host of other groups that don’t play well with others.
But when they play together, they wreak havoc on people and property in a very “specter”-like fashion (spectre is the British spelling for specter—meaning “ghost”— get it?)
Enter James Bond—a man armed and ready to foil the evil plans of SPECTRE and bring justice for their victims. He is a powerhouse combination of brains and brawn, and he is fearless in the face of danger.
Man—I would love to be James Bond for a day. I’d love to come face to face with an eeeeeeevil SPECTRE agent and take him down to Prisontown—wouldn’t you?
But wait…if you and I are followers of Christ, we are faced with the battle between good and evil on a spiritual level each and every day. Our enemy is not SPECTRE, but it is a much more powerful array of forces drawn together under the leadership of SATAN.
And when we feel discouraged or overwhelmed in the battle, we can gain great hope from this amazing encounter:
They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons. He hadn’t worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery. When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and bellowed, “What business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, Son of the High God, but don’t give me a hard time!” (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds.
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Mob. My name is Mob,” he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit.
A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned (Luke 8:26-33, The Message).
Amazing—right? Jesus comes face to face with a man who has the strength of The Hulk and a host of powerful demons.
But the Son of God need only speak a word, and the evil was blown away like a leaf in a tornado. The man was freed from Satan’s power, and if you read the rest of his story, he went back to his hometown and became a powerful witness for Jesus.
Did you know that the same power Jesus used to cast out the demons lives in you? The Holy Spirit indwells your soul, therefore through Him you have the power to blow away evil as well!
But don’t make the mistake that many Christians make—thinking that people are the problem. No, the evil we fight is spiritual in nature and demonic in origin. So the “weapons” we use are things like the Word of God, prayer and faith that God will be victorious.
So if you aren’t feeling as bold as Bond lately in your efforts against the powers of darkness, remember the power of Jesus and the tools He has given us to be effective “agents” in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Darkness.
And may your heart be shaken—not just stirred—for THE Cause!
Let’s take a cue from 007 to be motivated in our efforts to be used by Jesus! If Jesus can cast out a mob of demons in one man, think about what He can do in your situation!
PRAY: Father, thank You for Your power over all evil and the Kingdom of darkness. Help us be bold and confident in the calling you’ve placed on our lives.
READ: Ephesians 6:10-12. A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
GET: Youth Group 2 Go: Know Thy Enemy: Youth Leaders! In order to defend ourselves, we must understand our enemy and his agenda so we can effectively engage in spiritual warfare in the power of the Holy Spirit. Check out this excellent, downloadable youth group lesson that explores how we can battle against Satan and his demons who are seeking to destroy the plans of God and the people of God.
Want to use this Soul Fuel as a bible study with your students this week? Copy and text them the following: “Did you know that the same power Jesus used against spiritual darkness lives in you? Learn more in this week’s devo: http://hubs.ly/H01lKWw0“
Middle School – Out Of This World Series
OUT OF THIS WORLD: Series Overview
Have you ever been part of two very different groups? Maybe you go to a different school or you’re in different classes than the people in your neighborhood. So you’re a part of both groups. Or maybe you play on a different sports team than all of your friends. So after practice hang out with the team but on the weekends, you hang out with completely different people. When that happens, we feel like we’re from one world and living in another. We’re torn. And if we’re honest, sometimes going to church or being a Christian can make us feel that way too. We go to church and what we hear makes sense. We see people living out their faith and it looks perfectly normal, maybe even fun. But what looks good on Sunday doesn’t always feel comfortable on Monday. Back in the everyday world, living as followers of Jesus can make us feel like we’re from another planet. But does it have to be that way? And what does it look like to live for God in a culture that doesn’t necessarily think the same way? Believe it or not, these aren’t 21st century questions. Long ago, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi as they figured out how to navigate their faith and culture at the same time. As we spend the next few weeks talking about what he said, we may find that Paul’s advice to the Philippians is just as relevant for us as we learn to manage the tension and live in a way that is out of this world.
November 1 – BOTTOM LINE
Out of this world thinking is about here and there.
SCRIPTURE
“They think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the
Lord Jesus Christ lives.”PHILIPPIANS 3:19-20 (NLT)
“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of
the Good News about Christ.” PHILIPPIANS 1:27 (NLT)
November 8 – BOTTOM LINE
Out of this world thinking puts others first.
SCRIPTURE
““Don’t be selfish, don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.” PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4 (NLT)
““You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had…” PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 (NLT)
November 15 – BOTTOM LINE
Out of this world thinking changes what we do
SCRIPTURE
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 (NLT)
November 22 – BOTTOM LINE
Out of this world thinking impacts others for eternity
SCRIPTURE
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21 (ESV)
Wurst Bowl Sunday Oct. 25 @ BIG TENT in Oakwood Parking Lot!!!!
Look for the BIG TENT in the front parking lot!
Sunday, Oct 25 – Wurst Bowl Sunday, the Wurst Sunday EVER! -an “outside the box” crowd event with combined Middle School and High School activities.
SCHEDULE
9:15 – Outside Tailgate Games, Food and Fun
10AM – Big Tent Gathering with Crowd Game(s) and Team Shout Out
10:30 – Worship Music led by Billy Stephens
11AM – Speaker: Nick Person
11:45 Response Time
12pm – Dismiss
Parent Cue: Wired
Your student is changing fast. Chances are this isn’t a surprise. Their classes are changing. Their friends are changing. Their bodies are definitely changing. But one change you may not see as quickly are the changes that are happening in your student’s brain. As our students approach puberty, their brains are being physically rewired to function less like a child and more like an adult. New connections are forming. Old ones are collapsing. Parts of the brain are being reorganized. And with all of that activity, it’s no surprise that they may experience occasional “outages” or glitches in their judgment, their memory, and their emotional control. That means…
your straight-A scholar may suddenly forget their homework.
your sweet, quiet child may now have teenage emotional outbursts.
your reasonable, responsible student may have a few mindboggling lapses in judgment.
When that happens, our first reaction may be to panic and wonder, What went wrong here? But, most of the time, nothing is really wrong. Our students’ brains are simply under construction.
In their book, Teen Stages, authors Ken and Elizabeth Mellor describe this as a “cognitive rebirth” beginning around age 13 and continues into young adulthood. That means during middle school and high school, your student may show some behaviors reminding you a lot of their toddler and early elementary years. And…it’s perfectly normal.
While no two children are the same, and development is surely going to look different and take different amounts of time for each one, it may be helpful to look at the stages Mellor outlines to see where your student fits and what may be coming next.
As you check out the table below, find which descriptions best match your student and read to see what maybe coming in the next year. No matter what phase of rewiring your student is in, it’s important to remember that it’s only a phase. Enjoy them exactly as they are today and know that you play a key role, even during the later stages, in guiding them toward what’s next.
TRY THIS
Sometimes the scariest thing about our students’ wiring is that it comes from us. It’s tempting to focus all our attention on the traits in our students that make us cringe—especially when we know they learned it from us. But those aren’t the only traits we’ve passed down. If you think about it, there are also some pretty great things in your students’ wiring that came from you.
This week, take notice of one positive trait in your student that they inherited from you. (This can be something you can do as a step parent, adoptive parent or foster parent as well. Genetics may be responsible for some traits, but observation and learned behavior play an important role, too!)
Maybe you’re both good at math. Maybe your son is starting to show some of your great conversational skills. Or maybe your daughter is wired to be competitive, just like you. No matter what it is, pay attention to the positive traits passed on to your student. Then, copy the section below. Fill it out and leave it somewhere for your student this week.
DEAR
ONE THING I’VE NOTICED ABOUT YOU LATELY IS THAT YOU’RE…
THAT’S A GREAT TRAIT TO HAVE AND IT’S ONE THAT HAS HELPED ME OVER AND OVER. I’M PROUD OF THE PERSON YOU’RE BECOMING.
LOVE,
SERVING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
SERVING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
One thing I love about the Fall here at Oakwood is that our Church finds ways to Intentionally Engage our community in amazing ways.
Think about it, Fall Festival transforms our parking lot into a safe place for our community to enjoy fun entertainment, LOTS OF CANDY, and sense the love of Jesus through our church as we SERVE OTHERS. Right after that, OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD gets us into gear to serve someone in another country as a family by filling up one little shoebox. Heart of Hope, December 6, leads us to pack a grocery bag or two, invite families in our community to dinner and give their children the ability to have a Christmas when they may be able to afford it.
All these events give you and your Middle School Student an opportunity to serve, and it makes a BIG DIFFERENCE!
Brooklyn Lyndsey puts it this way in her Serving Through the Phases E-Single:
“BECAUSE WHEN YOU GIVE A MIDDLE SCHOOLER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE, YOU ARE HELPING
THEM TO ANSWER THE MOST TERRIFYING QUESTIONS THEY ARE FACING.”
Here are some thoughts about serving in the Middle School Phase…
AFFIRM THEIR GIFTS WHILE HELPING THEM TO SEE THE WORLD
DIFFERENTLY .
Service can be a significant tool in the life of a middle schooler—a
powerful tool that too often gets overlooked. Because when you
give a middle schooler the opportunity to serve, you’re helping
them to answer the most terrifying questions they’re facing. And
those questions are:
- Where do I fit in? (Where we all fit in—helping others and
showing God’s love.) - What can I offer? (You can offer a warm meal, a friendship, a
reprieve.) - Why do I matter? (Because you’re making a difference in the
world and you show off God’s heart like no one else does.)
Service forces a middle schooler to look through a window instead
of a mirror. It gives them a break from the all-consuming woes of
their own life (and to a middle schooler, they are all-consuming!) to
focus on someone else—on a world much bigger than the halls of
their middle school.
Check out Serving through the phases by Brooklyn Lyndsey
Parent Resources 