Oct. 15th Parent Letter

Hey Parents,

We just wanted to take a minute to give you an update on the world of ESM. Sorry, it's been a few weeks since we have updated you here, there has just been so much going on its been hard to find time to post!

It's hard to believe we are already so far into the school year, but believe it or not we are already well into October. We have loved the opportunity to work with your teens so far this year. So, first, we just wanted to say again, "Thank you!"

Upcoming at Elevate

·         Oct. 17 - Parenting Workshop - Students & Their Choices - 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
You may have noticed how students are faced with more decisions earlier and earlier these days. How can you as a parent guide your student to make God-glorifying decisions? In this workshop Pastor Mickey Burroughs will be sharing his insights from the Word on how to guide your students on how to make God Glorifying Decisions. You are not going to want to miss this!

·         Oct. 20 - Saturate New Port Richey - 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

      Join us as we hit the streets to help distribute the best news people could ever receive, delivered right to their doorstep. We are looking for more Walkers to help us put a Gospel DVD on the door nobs of all the homes we can. Free lunch for all participants to follow. 

·         Oct. 21 - Games on the Green - 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM 

      We are opening up our property for students to come on out for some friendly competition. Food with be served and fun will be had. Even if your student isn't an athlete please encourage them to join. GotG is a spectator sport. Also, please note this is a great activity for students to invite lost friends.  

      For more information about upcoming activities please see our Facebook events tab or our calendar. 

Elevate Sunday

We are in the tenth week of our study, The Thread. This week’s lesson was entitled “The Plagues,” and it focused on helping students understand how God acted miraculously on behalf of His people to free them from slavery in Egypt. Also, it helped our students understand that in the same way Jesus saved them from death with His sacrifice as the perfect sacrificial lamb.

We looked at the following Scripture passages:

·         Exodus 7:1-7; Exodus 7:20-25; Exodus 8:1-7; Exodus 8:16-19; Exodus 8:20-24; Exodus 9:1-7; Exodus 9:8-12; Exodus 9:22-28, 35; Exodus 10:12-15; Exodus 10:21-27; Exodus 12:21-32; Exodus 12:37-51

·         John 1:29

·         1 Peter 1:17-19

It looks like a lot of reading, but it’s totally worth it to understand how God persistently protects His people, both in the Exodus and on the cross.

Next Steps . . .

During the next week as you have time to talk with your child, consider asking the following questions:

·         We saw that God protected the Israelites, even as the Egyptians received plagues as consequences for their hardened hearts. Consider asking your teenager if it’s hard to believe that God will protect us. Ask if he or she can recall experiencing this protection.

·         Ask: What does it mean that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, the only sacrifice that could truly save us from death? What are ways people try to save themselves?

This kind of story raises some tough questions that you may want to dig in even deeper, depending on the maturity of your child.

·         Pharaoh may have had a hard heart because he didn’t want to lose the labor that was needed to run his land. Plus, God unleashed some difficult plagues on Pharaoh. Do you sympathize with Pharaoh at all?

·         What does this story ultimately say about God? (Some students may not like the way it portrays God--that God issues tough consequences. Affirm these points of view, but also show them how God protected the people who sought to honor Him).

We covered a TON this week, but we’re confident that our students walked away with a positive view of how much God really loves them.

Elevate Wednesday

We are continuing our study in the book of Acts. We would still encourage you to consider reading through the book of Acts as a family. Since this book is action packed we are only going to be able to scratch the surface as we explore it together on Wednesdays.  

Our small groups should be set for the year. There have been some changes a few of our veteran students are having a hard time with, so please come alongside your student and encourage them to really dive into relationships with their small groups and small group leaders. We believe that small group time can be one of the most important factors in your student's growth through Student Ministry at FBCNPR. 

Thank you for all that you do. If you have any questions about anything, please give me a call.