Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all! Some exciting things have been
happening here at Cornerstone Student Ministries. Just recently about twenty of
us went on the Epic Outing. Twenty is the perfect size for a group like this.
With three adults, a student leader, and sixteen teens, the interaction level
is both personal enough that someone isn’t left out, and yet big enough that
there is little to no awkward tension. This event was a great time to connect
with the kids over games of bowling and laser tag. I especially had been
looking forward to this event for the chance to get to know these younger kids
outside of church walls and see their true personalities come out in the thick
of a game as we interact shoulder to shoulder together.
We've
just had our yearly youth group Christmas party, and we had a huge turnout. Nearly fifty kids attended.
I believe one of the factors that is making Christmas parties so special is the
same thing that makes family get-to-gethers so special: Tradition. As we’ve
become established over the years as a youth group, several unique traditions
have taken root and are widely embraced by all. This is including the yearly
ugly sweater contest, as well as the fun gift exchanges. The same willingness
to show up in an ugly sweater and laugh at yourself along with everyone else,
is the continuing trademark of the whole youth group this year; an eagerness to
show up and worship God together. This is made all the more special at
Christmas time as we celebrate Jesus’ birth together.
One
new thing this year at the Christmas party was that we focused on the
redemptive story of Jesus. From the fall of man in the garden all the way to
Jesus’ death and resurrection. I read from The Jesus Storybook Bible. The teens
listened intently, engaged the whole time, as the book helped show them that
Jesus is our great rescuer, and that he’s coming as a demonstration of His “Never
Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” This is what
Christmas is all about, celebrating Jesus, born to die on our behalf that with
his Risen life a guarantee of our Eternal Life!
The
best is not behind us, though. With the Dare2Share conference coming up Feb.
17-18, the teens once again have an exciting opportunity approaching. This
conference is open to all ages, grades 7 and up, with a cost of $55. For those
who are interested in going, the deadline to register is Feb. 1st. This
means money and forms are in by then. The D2S conference, something we’ve gone
to several years in the past, always jars us out of the midwinter slump (literally
and spiritually). At the same time it equips the kids to share their faith with
their friends and challenges them to examine their own faith. Oftentimes it
reveals where they have been coasting on the coattails of their parents’ faith
and this often leads them to claim their own personal faith and relationship
with God. So, parents, get ready to send your kids to a fantastic, engaging
conference happening at the beginning of this coming new year. I look forward
to seeing what God will do.
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