FaithStudents 2.20

‘Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him,
 “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31

Hopefully you know the story of Peter walking on water and then starting to sink, but I have a quick question for you. When Peter looks back at this moment in his life do you think he looks back with joy or with frustration? I’ll give you a minute to think about this…

Fear can be gripping! Usually is.

Fear robs us of experiences, joys and fun that we can be looking forward to for years.

Fear comes upon us and most times doesn’t just leave, but can stay with us in a debilitating way. We know that our Lord Jesus Christ conquered fear from 1 John 4:18: ‘There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.’

The phrase ‘fear has to do with punishment’ gives me pause, does it give you pause too? My first thought is that fear can be its own punishment. SO, the easy question is to ask personally if our struggle with fear means love has not been perfected in us. Love from God or love towards God? Through the process of ELIMINATION, I know God’s love is not faulty and that means it is our love that is lacking if we struggle with fear, RIGHT?

Fear In Its Place

I ask this question in that way because it is important for us all to figure out if we have a tendency to live allowing fear in. As we raise our CHILDREN, they need to know how to not allow fear into their life. I love the passage in 1 John 4, but HONESTLY, I don’t use that passage to understand fear as much as I use the story in Matthew 14 with Peter walking on water.

Conquering fear allows us to do amazing things like walk to Christ on water, succumbing to fear makes us sink and drown in our worries and struggles. Both are possibilities in life and it is when we make the choice to cast fear aside that we come closer to Christ.

• In what areas do you see your students struggle with fear?
• How do we separate fear and failure from each other so that our students are not fearful of failure in life or in their faith?

 

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

 

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Releasing this Sunday (Feb 10th) in Room 105 and then we will be Digging next Sunday (Feb 17th) at East.

District Blitz
District Blitz is April 12-14 in Duluth, MN  Early Bird: $85 by March 13

Summer Mission Trip
Join us on a summer mission trip to Rapid City, SD to serve with Youthworks Ministries.  July 14-20, 2019  More information to come.

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FaithStudents 2.19

‘And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.’ Luke 13:30 

I loved ‘Boy meets World’! Great show. Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter were the first example of friendship and having your best friends back that I can remember and then when I started dating I think I just assumed that I was Cory and she was Topanga and it would be fine. Naive I know, but maybe you can relate.  

There is one episode that I remember clearly.  it was when Cory and Topanga got their first place.  it was a dump and Cory’s parents wouldn’t help them get a better place, but wanted them to struggle through it. I can remember the episode and the quaint nice ending after 30 minutes of sitcom drama. I think back to my own dump and living through that. Do you remember your first place? Do you remember the not good moments? Do you remember the not great relationships?  

Narrow Spots Can Be a Good Thing 

I remember the worst place Carrie and I lived in…the worst relationship I ever had and the lowest point in my relationship with God. I remember me at my worst and I know that God knows what that looks like as well. He doesn’t choose to see me as that believer, but He still knows it. I, as well, remember my lowest for good reason. It is not out of shame or guilt, but out of necessity to know how costly grace is and how good God is.  

• Do you share your struggles with your student?  
• Do you celebrate conquering horrible moments or at the least the turning of the corner? 

• How do you let tough moments not be the weight that brings you down, but instead it becomes the valley you crossed? 

Coming up at WNL we will be talking about the narrow spots on a journey and how we have to be careful in where we step.  it’s good to rely on others and trust in the map. Narrow spots can be good, because they keep our minds moving forward and focused on why we are on this path.  

I think the part families and you, as parents, play is how we look back and how we move forward. We do well at this in sports, school and even relationships, but I think we struggle with this in faith. I’m not amazing at this, but it’s not about being perfect it’s about engaging. So, I encourage you to engage. 

 Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them  in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.   

Scott Owens 

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Digging this Sunday (Feb 3rd) at East and then we will be Releasing again Sunday (Feb 10th) in Room 105.

FaithStudents 2.18

‘For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.’ 1 Peter 3:12a

When you go on a journey or a hike there are always things you need to watch out for. I go camping with my kids every June and the first time we went was up by Spirit Mountain, outside of Duluth. We went for a fun hike and jaunt in the woods and about 2/3 of the ways through the hike I see a ‘Watch out for bears!’ sign.

Now as a father with three little children I immediately go into, ‘what would I do if’ mode. You know that mode, it is when you start playing out scenarios in your mind. If a bear comes, what would I do?

• Could I climb this tree?
• Do I send Isabelle up first and then after that the boys?
• Do I pick up Mathias and the rest of us run?
• Should we just stop the hike now and go back?

The Danger Zones

Our mind starts calculating what to do in any and every situation and then prepares for what could happen. That is what we are doing now at WNL. What are the danger spots? What do we do with doubt? What are our weaknesses and how do we deal with them?

These are all questions we want our students to wrestle with and have their faith strengthen them. SO, for the next few weeks we are talking about fear, anxiety, struggles and weaknesses.  there is a fine line between knowing them and accepting them and that is my prayer for this time with the students. please be in prayer that we come around each other and help each other, but don’t allow sin to be passed over.

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Winter Summit registration deadline is Friday, Jan 25th

Winter Jam Friday Jan 25th.  Sign up at WNL.  Cost is $15.  If enough students sign up we will take a van.

FaithStudents 2:17

It’s time to make that turn to the back stretch. You know what I mean, that time when you look and just see winter and post-winter on the horizon and think, ‘Summer is coming…’  Maybe just a copycat of summer and maybe we are looking way to optimistic but hey…why not.

Finish the Trail You Are On

I really don’t have a regular article for you this week, but just an encouragement and a desire to once again tell you our destination.

We started this year off wonderfully with a small group night and a sexual purity commitment night with two speakers, Bob Richards and Janelle Vesely. We have Food Packing Night this week and down the road we have more student testimonies and Guest Speakers. The reason why I desire to give students the opportunity to hear different speakers and hear the message of Christ from other people is so they see we are all part of the same body and the same family.

It is a desire of mine that all of our students understand they are part of a weird, but highly energetic family of God on Wednesday Nights and we all help speak truth and light into each other. Now I would love it if every student and visitor felt extremely loved and a part of this family the second that they walk in the doors, but sadly that doesn’t always happen, but we are making steps to do just that.

Our focus for the rest of the year is to finish our series, THE TRAIL. We are relating our personal walk to follow Christ like a walk in the woods on a trail and the necessity to finish, to help each other out and to focus on the beauty that God reveals at every stage of the trail. We also have an awesome surprise coming at the end of the year that I am hoping the students get.  i’m excited for them to see the accumulation of our journey on the trail.

Join us in prayer for all the students and please let me know how I can best do the work of ministering grace, truth and joy to each of your students.

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

 

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Digging this Sunday (Jan 20th) at East and then we will be Releasing again Sunday (Jan 27th) in Room 105.

 

Links

• Facebook page: facebook.com/FaithChurchStudents
• Instagram page: instagram.com/FCStudentMin
• Twitter page: twitter.com/FCStudentMin

 

Upcoming Events

FOOD PACKING NIGHT

• Tonight Jan 16th beginning at 5:30pm at East Building

WINTER SUMMIT

• Sign up in person at WNL for a great weekend at Ironwood Springs with other Christian teens.  Invite your friends.  Feb 8-10.  Cost is $85

WINTER JAM

• A great time of amazing music.  Sign Up sheet at WNL.  Cost is only $15.  See who will all be performing at http://www.premierproductions.com  Concert is in Des Moines, IA.

Faith Students 2.16

When God Talk Is Tough

Sometimes your kids will ask easy questions. Other times, you’ll need to acknowledge there are things about God that are hard to understand, perhaps even that will remain a mystery while we’re on earth. But don’t let that challenge discourage you. Trust God and remember that “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). Better to not have all the answers than to not have all the conversations.

Better to not have all the answers than to not have all the conversations.  An exhortation for the weary

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Luke 2:6 esv

 

OK, Y’all…It’s game time!!!!

This is when we have more time than usual with our family. That means it is game time! Get ready, get your game prepped. These are the moments that you can speak truth, that you can encourage in a Godly way and where you can be used by God to influence. Here is part of an article that I like and hopefully it will encourage you.

Have a Merry Christmas and Game On!!

A parent who thinks this just isn’t possible: It could be you’re a new Christian yourself and you feel overwhelmed.

Maybe your kid has special needs that make learning a challenge. Perhaps your teen would scoff if you tried to “God talk” them. It’s an uphill battle for sure, but it is possible, by God’s grace, through the ministry of the Spirit. Get in the Word and pray for understanding, for opportunities, for soft hearts and open ears. Believe that your kids are actually listening to you even as they flop on the floor or roll their eyes.

My son ended up getting an A on his homework because I sent him next door to our neighbor who’s a mechanical engineer. She knows math. You don’t have to be at “mechanical engineer” level in your theology, but that’s got to be you for your kids’ spiritual education. You may be able to outsource your kids’ geometry homework, but you can’t outsource their discipleship. Sunday school teachers, youth pastors, and Bible stories acted out by vegetables can all be integral members of the team, but you’re the first and best teacher for your children.

May God help us all as we strive to be faithful in this, our highest calling and our greatest privilege: the eternally essential spiritual instruction of our children.

Taken from: thegospelcoalition.org/article/god-talk-family-life/

 

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

 

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We will be off until January 6th.

NO WNL

• Dec 19 & 26

NO DIG & RELEASE

• Dec 23 & 30

SMALL GROUP NIGHT

• Jan 2nd

Faith Students 2.15

For a child has been born – for us! The gift of a son – for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. Isaiah 9:6-7 msg

Like many of you (maybe all of you) I do love Christmas, but I struggle around this time to miss the season in the midst of all the doing. It’s not like I can blame Christmas for what it has become, but in the efforts to squeeze the most out of this holiday season we sometimes miss the two things that we are to focus on AWE and WONDER!

I contend that Awe and Wonder are the two most important ingredients we bring to the Christmas season. Being in Awe of the gift of Christ is what we are longing for and it is what we want our students to have. if we live in wonder of how  this story brings us together, we can share the message of Christ with others!

It amazes me that almost everything we do during this season works to pull us away from the AWE and WONDER of Christ. Think about it;

• Busyness
• Worry
• Obligations
• Financial Expectations

Almost everything we run around doing is not what we are supposed to be doing, so how do we change it. I encourage you to read a verse in the morning to your whole family. Here is a list of great verses that will put the emphasis on what we are supposed to be focused on.

Isaiah 9:6,  Jonah 2:7,  Hosea 6:6,  John 1:12,  Col 1:19, 2:9,  Eph 4:7,  Isa 40:28-31,  Ps 73:28

Talk to your students about making an attitude shift. in our home We are doing a secret Santa gift exchange with our kids, but we are asking that the focus not be on a present, but to bless that person for the next two weeks. Make their bed for them, give them some of your cookie (that is massive!), do a chore for them. Look to bless them and make the gift be an outpour of a loving heart.

Take control and ownership this season in all the ways you can.

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Digging this Sunday (Dec 16th) at East.  There will be NO Dig and Release Dec 23rd and 30th.

Faith Students 2.14

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7 esv

For the last couple of weeks I shared the first two parts of a three-part series from a conversation I had with world-class principal, education communicator and drumming-savant Jessica Cabeen about transition stages for our students and wanted to share notes from that conversation with you for the next couple of weeks.

She gave me three MASSIVE points

1. Build Empathy
2. Encouraging Healthy Peer Connections
3. Build a Successful Adults

Building into your student so they are a successful adult is nothing new, but the second question needs to be, what is our definition of success? That may seem easy, but look at your own life and what you quantify as success and that will most likely be the definition you convey to your students.

Security in finances, ability to retire early, being at the top of your field, living a better life than your parents, and taking larger vacations are all financial success goals. Having a large family, better relationship with my kids then my parents have with me, and never getting divorced are all family success goals. Giving your students an awe of God, having your kids be in a church as an adult, all of your kids baptized in a church, and your kids memorizing John 3:16 are all faith success goals. SO, what is the best way to figure out how to build success into your future adult? Do you pick one goal from each area (Finances, Family, Faith) does that mean you are building a successful adult?

Remember the story of Zacchaeus, He was a wee little man and a wee little man was he (kind of redundant, but memorable). Chief tax collector was his title so that meant he had financial success completed. He had Jesus and his disciples and probably close to a mob in his house and so we can assume being a jew that he had a family and yet he is willing to give away money if he defrauded anyone (Luke 19:8). Question: If Zacchaeus’ parents were there what do you think they would have said?

Possibilities:

1. What are you doing? Don’t do that you are giving away the money you earned with hard work!
2. Son, what a giving man you are! Good job!

Nothing is wrong with wanting your child to be successful in career and finances so that they can willing and joyfully bless others, NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THAT. But the line between showing our students success (in the world’s eyes) and success (in God’s eyes) is complicated. Because it is drastically different and also very easy to get wrong.

My goal in this newsletter is not to make you feel shame, but to ask you all one question: if you were Zacchaeus’ parents what would you say, and does this show what your view of success is to your own students?

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Releasing this Sunday (Dec 9th) in Room 105 and then Digging next Sunday (Dec 16th) at East.  There is no Dig and Release December 23 and 30.

 

Links

• Facebook page: facebook.com/FaithChurchStudents
• Instagram page: instagram.com/FCStudentMin
• Twitter page: twitter.com/FCStudentMin

 

Upcoming Events

CHRISTMAS PARTY

• Wednesday Dec 12th  6:30pm  Wear your ugliest Christmas sweater for the Ugly Sweater Scholarship Pageant

NO WNL

• Dec 19 and 26

SMALL GROUP NIGHT

• January 2nd

Faith Students 2.13

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7 esv

Last week I shared the first part of a three-part series from a conversation I had with world-class principal, education communicator and drumming-savant Jessica Cabeen about transition stages for our students.  I will be sharing notes from that conversation with you for the next couple of weeks.

She gave me three MASSIVE points

1. Build Empathy
2. Encouraging Healthy Peer Connections
3. Build a Successful Adult

Last week I shared about the necessity in building empathy in students. This week I want to share with you about the necessity in encouraging healthy peer connections for your students. One of the first steps is allowing your students to have time in their day/schedule so that they can have connections with other students.

I recently learned from a message by Michael Anderson, author of a great book Gist, that the average teenage student today has the same pressure and stress as a 1950’s schizophrenic patient. Now just to be clear, the definition of a schizophrenia is a long-term mental disorder involving breakdowns in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior leading to mental fragmentation.

Two reactions:

1. Wow! Really?
2. I can see some of those traits in students today!

Students either run from this to that doing fourteen different things or they don’t know how to deal with the limited things they are doing because of a lack of time management. Just like it is the responsibility of the church today to speak truth in our culture, it is the responsibility of parents to give their children the correct instruction on healthy connections for their sake and for future relationships.

Opening up time for your students to spend time with others that have an accurate view of what gives them worth and value and/or just the correct influences is our responsibility. I encourage you to take a moment and look at your students schedule and where are the stresses and pressures coming from? Does there need to be more instruction and help you can provide them about balance and worth? Will the relationships they have lead them to see themselves as Christ sees them or will it give them a false perspective on their value? I pray this helps you to step into moments of transition with joy and not with fear.

‘know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’– Psalm 100:3

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Digging this Sunday (Dec 2nd) at East and then Releasing next Sunday (Dec 9th) in Room 105.

Faith Students 2.12

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7 esv

 I had a conversation this summer with world-class principal, education communicator and drumming-savant, Jessica Cabeen, about transition stages for our children and wanted to share notes from that conversation with you for this week’s newsletter.

recently I have noticed a strong Christian response of fear when it comes to our students transitioning into the next phase of life. Whether that is moving up a grade, transition of different churches or different schools, moving neighborhoods or losing a friend – we see students struggling to adjust and trust in Christ. So, my conversation with Jessica started with one question. “How does our church step into gaps to prepare parents for the next phase for their kids?’

She gave me three points

1. Build Empathy
2. Encouraging Healthy Peer Connections
3. Build a Successful Adult

I want to focus on the first of these three points this week, how do we build empathy in our students. This is the season when focusing on serving others seems to be all around us, but letting students serve doesn’t mean you build empathy in the same way that owning a boat doesn’t make you a pirate.

Often when encouraging others to serve the task of laying out the big picture gets missed.

Why are we doing this?
Why does this matter to those we are serving?
How is Christ glorified in this?

I encourage you to serve as a family this season and when you do to ask questions of your students and encourage them to make sure they know the big reason of why we are serving.

‘By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.’ 1 John 3:16-18

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the 2nd service we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Releasing this Sunday on Nov 25th at Room 105 and Digging again on Dec 2nd.

UPCOMING EVENTS

NO WNL ON NOV 21ST

CHRISTMAS IN THE S.W.

• Nov 29th  4-7pm at the Main Building
  Live Nativity, Campfire Donuts and Hot Chocolate
  Volunteers needed.  Contact Scott at 437-1000

CHRISTMAS PARTY

• Dec 12th  6:30pm East Building
  Ugly Sweater contest
  Cookies, games and story from Grandma Josie

Faith Students 2.11

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8 esv

“Of course I parent the correct way otherwise I would change it!” I said to a person in our church. Let me be clear, I don’t think I am the perfect parent (none of us do), however we should believe that we are doing it correctly otherwise wouldn’t you want to change how you parent for the sake of your children?

If I was the coach of the Minnesota Vikings and I came up with a plan to take down the Chicago bears in a week, but yet I knew it wasn’t going to work would that make me a bad coach? Maybe… maybe they are just that much more superior then we are (totally hypothetical cause Diggs and Thielen are Bear killers). or would that cause me to change to a better plan so that we could win… YES! That is what would make me a good coach.

If you, as a parent, know you are not teaching your children in the correct way then why wouldn’t you change it? You absolutely would. all of us should believe we are teaching our children the correct way, because why else would we be still doing it? are you parenting correctly?

Coming up this Sunday, November 18th we are having a ParentLab about what is your end game in parenting. It is about writing your family mission statement and making it the focus of what you want your family to be about.

What is the mission of your family?
What do you desire for your children to be in Christ?
What are the non-negotiable purposes moving forward?

We are not wanting to dictate these to you, but instead we want to have a conversation about what it should be for different families. If you have never come to a ParentLab then please consider attending this one. If this seems interesting and you know another couple or parent that would like to be part of this discussion by all means bring them too.   We want to equip you, resource you or help coach you in parenting with confidence in Christ so that you see the blessing from God in His calling for you.

Thank you for letting me minister to your students and alongside them in reaching their friends, our community and the world for His glory.

Scott Owens

Dig and Release weekly info: Every Sunday during the second service KidVenture time only we have Dig and Release for all students 7th-12th grade. We are Digging this Sunday (Nov 18), meaning we will be prepping in Room 101 (new location). After that, we are Releasing on Nov 25th at Room 105 and then Digging again on Dec 2nd

 

Upcoming Events

NORTHWESTERN @ WNL

• Nov 14

DINNER NIGHT WITH GRANDMA JOSIE

• Nov 14 @ 6pm  East Building  Dessert Dinner

NO WNL ON NOV 21ST