We have started a 3 week teaching series with the somewhat intimidating title of “Curse God and Die”. I feel like this should be followed by a lightning bolt and thunder crash every time I say it! This title actually comes from the “advice” that Job’s wife gave him during his testing. This study will be a study of the Biblical book of Job and broken down to the following emphasis:

Week 1 – Don’t give up on God

Week 2 – Don’t give up on people

Week 3 – Don’t give up on yourself (in your faith journey)

Some questions to ask at home:

1) What did you learn from the story of Job week?

2) What one thing challenged or stuck out to you this week?

3) Are there any trials or tests you feel you are going through this week that we as a family can help you with?

The Flood will be having a lock-in on Friday February 24th form 9pm through 7am!  This event will include pizza, dodgeball, worship, Nerf, video games, and a trip to Zap Zone where we have rented the entire facility to ourselves for some lazer tag!  Please not that nobody will be allowed into the church after 10pm when we lock the doors or allowed to leave before 7am unless previously noted on the permission form (available every Wednesday night) for safety reasons.  Parents, PLEASE be sure to have a ride ready to pick your student up AT 7am… our volunteers are old and will be ready for bed!

To determine this, the researchers surveyed almost 5000 teens, from the ages of 12 to 19, about their drinking history and their relationship with their parents.

They compared 3 distinct types of parenting styles to drinking outcomes: authoritative (intensive monitoring of behaviors and a warm relationship) permissive (a warm relationship with low levels of monitoring) and strict (very tight monitoring but little warmth. They found that:

Teens brought up in homes with permissive parents were 3 times more likely to binge drink than teens from authoritative households.
Teens living in homes with strict parents were twice as likely as teens with authoritative parents to binge drink.
Teens who attended religious services or ranked religion as important in the survey were less likely to try alcohol at all.
The researchers say that although teens from households with differing parenting styles are equally prone to trying alcohol, that authoritative parenting certainly seems protective against very risky drinking behaviors, like binge drinking.

Lead researcher Stephen Bahr advises, “Parents need to realise you need to have both accountability and support in your relationship with adolescents. Make sure that it’s not just about controlling their behaviour – you need to combine knowing how they spend their time away from home with a warm, loving relationship.”

The full research results can be examined in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Taken from Choosehelp.com

We have started a new series in The Flood we are calling “WHY?”. This series will be looking at the “why questions” of the Christian faith like why we pray, why we read the Bible, why we choose purity and more. I am excited to see the impact this series has on our students as most of these questions have come from them!

Some questions to ask at home:

1) Which “why question” did you study this week?

2) What was the answer given?  How do you feel about this answer?

3) What was your favorite discussion from small group this week?

Have millennials been misunderstood?

A recent report from The Futures Company wonders aloud whether we’ve misread this generation. Whereas generational speculation has given a positive spin to this up-beat, do-good cohort, as millennials transition to adulthood questions are popping up about the tendencies of this age group when taken as a whole (which is, of course, unfair in and of itself). According to the report, “Millennials are demonstrating more insular,

self-protective and scrappy attitudes than previously assumed.” Here’s some of their argument for making this statement:

They believe “the system” is letting them down (Occupy movement, anyone?)
They are increasingly cynical about “making a difference” in the world.
Personal success is the priority. And they’re willing to bend the rules for self-benefit.
Now, this report in particular is based on opinion polling, so don’t take it (or any other research) without liberal grains of salt. But it does raise good questions.

How often to we lean into group or age cohort stereotypes and make assumptions before they’re proven?
How much do we write off 22-year-olds or 72-year-olds based on what we think they must be thinking, feeling, or doing related to whatever we are concerned about?
While we’re generalizing, though, what difference actually exists between the beliefs and attitudes of 20-somethings listed above and their 30-40-something counterparts? Rampant individualism is the bread and butter of our cultural feast. Did we expect something different from this generation if that’s all we’ve been feeding them?
And finally, how does any or all of this impact the ways we shape our ministries for the coming year? Should it?

Posted By: Youth Specialties on November 09 2011

1.  Be committed.
Don’t walk away before there’s a natural conclusion to the conversation.

2.  Don’t be a problem solver.
Even if you have the perfect solution that can end the conversation quickly, wait.  And then some more.

3.  Pay attention to your non-verbal language.
How are you standing/sitting?  Do you have a glazed look on your face?

4. Keep listening!
Avoid the temptation to daydream or to prepare a mental “To Do” list while listening.

5.  Listen with love.
Have a positive attitude during the conversation.  This is not an interruption in your day but an opportunity to reflect God’s love during His day.

6.  Clarify what is being said.
Don’t pretend to know what the speaker is talking about if you don’t.  Don’t be afraid to ask speaker to repeat something that you didn’t hear or to clarify when needed.

7.  Repeat what was said.
Show you’re listening by reiterating what you heard the person say and how she feels

8.  Prove you’re listening.
When appropriate, nod, smile, congratulate, comment, etc.

9.  Wait your turn.
Don’t compose what you’re going to say while someone else is speaking.  Stay focused on what is being said – you’ll have time to get your thoughts together.

10. Look at the person!
Nothing is as insulting as having a conversation with someone who looks everywhere and at everyone but at you.

Our high school fall retreat, Fusion, is here once again!  This event is always a great spiritual retreat for our students, and this year’s event is sure to be one of the best with Scott Monette speaking and The Jordan Howerton Band leading us in worship.  If your son or daughter is registered to go with us, please be sure they are at the church, packed, fed, and ready to go by 5:45 on Friday so we can leave by 6pm.  They need money for 4 meals, and items needed for 2 nights in a hotel with them.

Don’t forget that THIS SATURDAY is our Dodgeball Tournament fundraiser!  If you are playing be sure to be at the church at 10am to register.  If you are not playing, come and enjoy some free entertainment cheering your friends on!