Reach Ministry Summer Break!!

We will be taking a break this summer!! We will be having some events throughout the summer for our students and will be announcing them through the church and e-mailing them out to parents of students. If your child has not attended Reach Youth Ministry please contact me and I will add you to our e-mailing list. Hope you all have a safe and blessed summer break. We can't wait to see all of your bright and shining faces when we start back up!!

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader

Cell 912-552-5709
reach@secchurch.com

On the Lot: CAMERA!!

Hello Reach Parents!!

On The Lot: Parent Cue

The week before you begin the On the Lot series, e-mail the parents of your students to connect with them. Included below is content for two separate e-mails to send (or blog posts)—one before and one during the series. Use the information below in the "What We're Talking About" section to inform them about the new series and what students will be discussing or post this content on a blog and direct parents to the site. You may also want to include updates or reminders about important upcoming events, registration deadlines, retreats or church projects. Attach pictures or links to your web site so that parents can see what is happening in your ministry. Use the "For Parents Only" e-mail to encourage your parents, and celebrate each other's success during the series.

Here is an overview of what we're talking about. Listed below the summary is a "parent cue" to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

 

ON THE LOT:

Series Overview

Many families have a Bible somewhere in the house. As the #1 Bestseller year after year, the Bible has the special distinction of being one of the most commonly owned books. Many people feel like they should have one around, but the question many of us wonder is, "What do we do with it?" Reading it can seem like a daunting task sometimes. We might feel like it is the spiritual homework we never understand or never get around to. Over the next few weeks, we will be talking with your student about one way to approach Scripture that will bring freedom and life change. A way that will bring the words they read to life.

Session Two (May 10th)

Knowing is half the battle. But what is the other half? This week we will be looking at the next step in the process of handling God's Word because reading it for information is so short of what it can be. Students will be challenged to use the Bible as a mirror to see into their own lives and begin to make changes in the way they live.

Parent/child discussion question: Have you ever read something in the Bible and then found yourself in a situation where you had a choice to live that out? What did you do?

P.S. Don't forget about the Lock in we are having this Friday night, May 13th from 7pm- May 11th at 7am. We are asking that everyone bring $5 to help with the cost of pizza!! They are allowed and encouraged to bring as many friends with them as possible. This is a great way for our SGLs (Small Group Leaders) to be able to spend some time with them and get to know what drives them a little better!! We look forward to this exciting event and can't wait to share in encouraging your child's faith!! God Bless a teenage mess!!

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader

SO.... You Think You Know Me???

Hey Reach Parents,

 Sorry that it has taken me so long to get this week's message info out?! For those of you that were not able to make it on Saturday :( I am sorry that you missed it!! Here is a brief of what we covered:

Our mission: To lead middle school students into a purposeful and passionate relationship with Jesus Christ by discovering a faith of their very own.

Our strategy: Environments- most Christians recall a specific environment that helped draw them closer to God. We are committed to creating conducive environments designed to enhance relationships with students.
                     Relationships- most Christians point to a specific relationship that they had growing in their faith that helped draw them closer to God. This is true for all ages, but magnified in adolescence. We understand that the parents are the biblical authority in our student's lives. We also understand that 90% of what our students learn spiritually will be within the four walls of your home. BUT, imagine with me if you had another "trusted" adult voice taking an active interest in your child's life, showing true love and care for your child. It is hard not to have a heart for someone that is willing to invest their time and effort into reaching your child right where they are, not trying to change them or the disciplines that you have and continue to work so hard on instilling in them, but reinforce them with guidance, encouragement, and a model of God's love and grace.

I encourage you to take the time to help us in these simple ways:
- Ask your child questions about what is going on in Reach and possible ways to help.
- Think about what you can do to actively engage in your child's faith walk.
- Consider how much your child needs to be a part of a ministry like this. Look at what they could be doing instead.
- Keep in contact with your child's specific Small Group Leader, this is the person in our ministry that will pastor, disciple and connect with your child and be that "trusted" voice in their life.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve and be served by your child's amazing testimonies!!

26APR11
SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME???

This week at Reach we are taking the time to let our SGLs invest some time and thoughts about their faith with the students. We believe that these relationships are key to successfully growing your child's faith!!

I don't want to give it away, but encourage your child to think about their favorites!?!?

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader

IMPORTANT MEETING FOR PARENTS AND SGL of REACH MINISTRY

Please make sure to make time for a very important meeting for the Reach ministry on Saturday, 23APR11 from 8-10am. We will be discussing the envisioned path God has given me for this ministry. Both Parents and Small Group Leaders are two of the most vital parts of this ministry and I believe that it is just as important that we are able to all grab onto the vision God has given to me. Thank you all for your participation and support for this ministry!! God Bless!!

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader

SO YOU WANT TO GET BAPTIZED...

Hey Everyone!

I'm just getting back from the Drive conference!! I am super excited about the vision that God has given me for this ministry!! I missed all of you tremendously!!

Congratulations! If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to be baptized! Just as a newly married couple show their shared love by wearing wedding bands, your baptism is a key opportunity to show others that you have accepted Christ and have a relationship with Him.

At REACH we believe that there are two reasons that you should get baptized:
1. Obedience
2. Identification

 We will be talking about these two things in depth tomorrow night, so don't forget:
Bring yourself!
Bring your bible!
Bring a friend!
Bring an open mind and heart!
And get ready to dive into God's will for your life!!

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader

Collide: Totaled

Session Three: Totaled (March 22nd)

Are you a safety boy/girl? Do you like the predictable? Do you like to know the outcome before you dive into something? Do you like to keep things the way they are—predictable? Isn't that, well, a little boring? Maybe you need to collide with God. Maybe you need to place yourself in His path so that something in your life will change. It's a collision that will leave you different than the status quo—and that's a very good thing. 

Parent/child study question: As a Christian, is there something you feel like you should do, but for some reason—fear, uncertainty, discomfort—you're reluctant to do it? How can you push yourself out of that comfort zone and make it happen?

COLLISION STORIES

By Tim Walker 

 

I'm not the most coordinated person in the world. I can trip over my own two feet just as easily as I can trip over an object in my path. There's a good reason for it. I have "athletically challenged syndrome." It's a real disease. Okay, maybe not yet. But if we can get enough people to petition without injuring themselves with pencils, paper cuts, etc., we'll get organized.

 

So, needless to say, I know a thing or two about collision.

 

I'm the guy who stood in right field, praying the ball wouldn't collide with my head.

 

I'm the guy who jumped off the bus at a band competition, thinking I could re-enact the 1980s "Oh What a Feeling"/Toyota commercial jump only to come crashing on the pavement, bloodying my knee and tearing my pants.

 

I'm the guy who had a head-on collision with my brother on a motorcycle trail. We both swerved. I just swerved the wrong direction.

 

It's a gift, I know.

 

And while I'm not so great at moving around (my wife has a strict "please don't do that" regarding my dancing), I am very grateful for some of the collisions I've had in my life.

 

Like the person who hit the bumper of my car when I was a newly licensed driver. Someone at a traffic light thought the light had changed and hit the gas, giving my car a bump. That moment taught me to allow space at the stoplight and to make sure I knew what was going on around me.

 

But I've also had some collisions in my life that have had a great impact on me personally as well.

 

Like my Sunday school teacher in high school, Phil Harley. He impacted my life in a huge way. He made a misfit, uncoordinated kid feel like he was a wanted part of the world. It's why I looked forward to church and loved being around Phil and his family.

 

Or the time when I began to see the themes in my Lit class play out in the Bible, and when I began to see that all of life was a mere reflection of the story that unfolds in the Bible.

 

Or the time when I was driving on the Interstate, pouring my broken heart out to God and He brought both comfort and joy.

 

Or the time I met someone from another denomination who really loved God and I realized that my particular church didn't have a monopoly on Him.

 

There are many other collision stories, moments when God's truth collided with me, God's people crashed into me, God Himself showed up in my life in ways that I never saw coming—much like a baseball soaring in the air or the tree that suddenly jumped into my path.

 

What about you?

 

What are the moments when God crashed into you?

 

What about the moments when His truth showed up somewhere you didn't expect and He showed you something about who He is? Was it in the face of one of your children, your spouse or a total stranger? Was it in a sunset or in a book or a movie?

 

Take some time today to think about the ways God has collided with you, and you with Him. And how not only you collided, but you were changed.

Then do one more thing for me . . . tell your teen. Let your son or daughter hear about the collision from your own lips, let him or her into your story and get a glimpse of your collision stories.

 

And when he or she hears your stories about a God who collides with us, changes us, maybe they'll be intentional about colliding with God as well.

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader

Collide: Blindsided

We had an extra special guest, Terrill Jenkins, Lead singer for the group T&C, come in last week and play for the students and they really seemed to like it. We are doing our best to make sure that we are providing the best environment possible for your children and are open to any ideas that you may have. Just send an e-mail to reach@secchurch.com.

Ask anyone who's ever run into a sliding glass door that was closed, or went for the same baseball as a teammate, or experienced a fender bender at a stoplight—a collision changes things. Whether it's a bump on the head or a cracked bumper, something is not the same as it was before. The same thing happens when we collide with God or His truth or even other people. We're changed. But unless we put ourselves in a position to collide, everything will stay the same. So are you ready to change, are you ready to collide?

Session Two: Blindsided (March 15th)

Have you ever met someone who was such a great example of Christ, but that person wasn't a Christian? It sort of messes with your head, doesn't it? After all, Christians don't have a monopoly on caring for people. Not all things that are God's truth exist exclusively with Christians or in the walls of the church. And if we realize that we can collide with truth in places other than the expected, God can use those collisions to show us new things about Himself and even change us.

 

Parent/Student Cue: What is something that you have learned about God from a person or source that wouldn't necessarily be labeled "Christian"?

Allow your teen to see how you strive to grow so they can understand how to confront their own limitations and pursue character and faith.

Your Brother in Christ,
Chris Leonard
Reach Middle School Ministry Leader