Elevate Student Ministries

Dear Parents, This week in our continued look at the big-picture story of the Bible, we are talking about the early church. Church today looks super-different than it did 2,000 years ago. Yet, there are many aspects that were central to the church then that are just as central to the church today. We looked at the following Scripture passages: ·          Acts 2:42-47 ·          1 Corinthians 1:18-24 We talked about how the church is a place where we do fun stuff like play dodgeball, have potlucks, and vote on carpet (OK, not really that last one) . . . but that those aren’t the things that caused the church to grow so dramatically! Only the Gospel can do something like that, because it offers something that you can’t get anywhere else. Next Steps . . . During the week, set aside a few moments to discuss these questions with your teenager: ·          What are the reasons you like going to church? ·          What are some ways that church is different from any

Dear Parents, Hello again! We’re continuing on our study of The Thread to see the Gospel story throughout the Bible. This week’s lesson was a really awesome time of fellowship and conversation. I hope your child enjoyed it. This week, the lesson was entitled “The Holy Spirit and Pentecost , ” and it focused on helping students understand that from Pentecost forward, the promised Holy Spirit would permanently live within all who would ever come to faith in Christ, to understand that Pentecost represented the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to His disciples, and to help students flesh out what it practically looks like to let the Holy Spirit guide their lives. We looked at the following Scripture passages: Acts 2:1-41 John 16:5-14 You’ll enjoy reading these powerful passages that tell the story of the Holy Spirit coming on the early church at Pentecost, and Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and guide us into truth. Next Steps .

Dear Parents, In this week’s lesson, we focused on the Great Commission that Jesus gave the disciples when He appeared to them after the resurrection. Students looked at Jesus’ call to share the Gospel with the world, and the promise that the Holy Spirit empowers them to be Christ’s messengers of the Gospel. These were some of the last words that Jesus spoke before He ascended into Heaven. Together, we looked at the fact that this command was given not only to the disciples, but to us as well. Jesus made it clear that even His followers who did not see Him in the flesh would share in the blessing of carrying His good news to a lost and dying world. The best part? He also promised that we would not do it alone! The Holy Spirit empowers and equips believers to continue the work of Christ until He returns. We looked at the following Scripture passages: ·          John 20:19-29 ·          Acts 1:1-11 ·          Matthew 28:18-20 Next Steps . . . As a part of our discus

Dear Parents, Hello again! We’re already on our thirty-ninth week of our trek through the Bible called The Thread.   Remember, this study shows that all of Scripture is united in one message: God’s redemptive work throughout the generations as ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. This week, the lesson was entitled “The Resurrection,” and it focused on learning about the historical reality of Christ’s resurrection as well as helping the students define what it means to be alive in Christ. We looked at the following Scripture passages: John 20:1-18 Romans 6:5-11 As you have time, dig into these scriptures. Explore their relevance in your life and how they might be significant to your student. Next Steps . . . During the week set aside a few moments to discuss these questions with your teenager: ·          Can you sympathize with how Mary must have felt before she recognized Jesus? Why or why not? ·          Is the idea of the resurrection hard for you to g