What's Happenin' @ Forward Mid-Week

Below is a brief summary of what talked about tonight. Most of the time we teach through a series for several weeks at a time that way students that miss can get caught back up quickly, and so we can dissect a topic more fully than just a one night deal. Use the overview and questions for both you and your teen to answer and have a dialog that continues outside the church walls and into your homes. Use this opportunity to see what God is teaching your student and also allow your student to see what God is teaching/taught you.

Current Series:

Science is fascinating. Even if you hate science class, you have to admit that the idea of conducting experiments is cool. It’s amazing how adding just a few drops of one chemical can create a reaction, adding a few drops of another can stop or deactivate the same reaction and adding a few drips of a third chemical can make the first two glow in the dark or it can make them explode! What’s crazy is that you can’t tell by looking at something what reaction it will cause. Maybe it’s an activator. Maybe it’s a deactivator. Maybe it’s neither. The only way to know is to keep testing it out and see what happens. Believe it or not, this is something faith and science have in common. We all experience moments that have the potential to activate or deactivate our faith, and it’s hard to tell at first glance which is happening. This was especially true in the life of one of Jesus’ followers and dear friends, Peter. As we take a closer look at his ups and downs, we’ll discover how sometimes the very experiences that threaten to destroy our faith are the ones that can activate it in a whole new way.

 

This Week's Recap:

Week #3 (08.24.2016): Work in Progress

Bottom Line: Don't Forget Who You Follow

What we talked about:

Dealing with people can be tough sometimes. And if we’re being honest, for some reason it feels like dealing with church people can be the most difficult of all. Maybe you’ve heard a lot of things about Jesus that you really liked, but then you showed up at church and the people there made you feel hurt, misunderstood, or judged. Or maybe a church person that you looked up to did something disappointing and left you feeling confused about exactly who Jesus is or what Christianity is supposed to look like. The good news is, you’re not alone in feeling this way! Peter himself faced these same kinds of feelings when dealing with difficult people of all kinds. And his response to them reminds us that, while people can hurt and disappoint us, they don’t have to deactivate our faith. In fact, when we keep our focus in the right place, it can activate our love for God and His followers in a whole new way.

 

This Part is For YOU Parents:

(Part 3 of 4.....the intro paragraph will be here each week, but the action item will change) 

 By Carey Nieuwhof

So, let’s just start by saying I’m not the most mechanically inclined person. But somehow that doesn’t exempt me from owning a garage filled with small engines: a snowblower, lawnmower, leaf blower, weed trimmer, and the like.
My technique for starting these machines is always the same: push the buttons and pull hard on the pull-cord. When that works, I’m off and running. When it doesn’t, I try the exact same things again. Then, I give up or call my friend John who fixes these kinds of things to tell him they’re broken.
 
More often than I’d like to admit, my friend John has come over only to tell me that my lawn mower wasn’t actually broken. I just needed a new approach. Sometimes I need to remember to adjust the choke, or try priming it again, or even to leave it because I flooded it. And then...like magic, it started because I tried something new. Teenagers are a bit like that.
 
When they don’t respond at age 15 to the things they responded to at age 10, we’re tempted to just try harder. But saying the same things more loudly, or trying the same tactics again and again won’t always turn things around.
 
After all, the teen years take away some of a parent’s favorite opportunities to connect, like bedtime stories and pick ups from school. So what do you do? Change your strategy.
 
If you want to get through to your teenager, here are some ways to connect that are unique to the teen years:

LEVERAGE DRIVE TIME
Some of the very best conversations I’ve had (and still have) with my sons happen when we’re driving somewhere.

Being beside each other in the car is a lot less intimidating than sitting down for a ‘talk’. It’s actually easier to be vulnerable and honest when you’ve got an hour on the road together with little more to do than chat than it is if you’re trying to make a conversation elsewhere.

Whenever my kids needed a ride somewhere, I was anxious to take them. And eventually, I let them drive me places. Whatever it took to get us in the car together, I did.

What's Happenin' @ Forward Mid-Week

Below is a brief summary of what talked about tonight. Most of the time we teach through a series for several weeks at a time that way students that miss can get caught back up quickly, and so we can dissect a topic more fully than just a one night deal. Use the overview and questions for both you and your teen to answer and have a dialog that continues outside the church walls and into your homes. Use this opportunity to see what God is teaching your student and also allow your student to see what God is teaching/taught you.

Current Series:

Science is fascinating. Even if you hate science class, you have to admit that the idea of conducting experiments is cool. It’s amazing how adding just a few drops of one chemical can create a reaction, adding a few drops of another can stop or deactivate the same reaction and adding a few drips of a third chemical can make the first two glow in the dark or it can make them explode! What’s crazy is that you can’t tell by looking at something what reaction it will cause. Maybe it’s an activator. Maybe it’s a deactivator. Maybe it’s neither. The only way to know is to keep testing it out and see what happens. Believe it or not, this is something faith and science have in common. We all experience moments that have the potential to activate or deactivate our faith, and it’s hard to tell at first glance which is happening. This was especially true in the life of one of Jesus’ followers and dear friends, Peter. As we take a closer look at his ups and downs, we’ll discover how sometimes the very experiences that threaten to destroy our faith are the ones that can activate it in a whole new way.

 

This Week's Recap:

Week #2 (08.17.2016): Sink or Swim

Bottom Line: Jesus is ok with our doubt

What we talked about:

When it comes to science, it seems like you never really know what might happen. One chemical might cause a huge reaction while another might deactivate your entire experiment. When you think about it, the same thing is true of faith. There are things in our lives that have the potential to either destroy or fuel our faith. And sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is happening. Sometimes what looks like a faith-destroyer might actually be the very thing that builds our faith if we let it. Believe it or not, one of those potential faith-activators is doubt. Even Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends and followers, dealt with major feelings of doubt. But as we’ll learn from Peter’s experience, our doubt doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, it’s when we trust God with our doubt that our faith can be activated in a whole new way.

 

This Part is For YOU Parents:

(Part 2 of 4.....the intro paragraph will be here each week, but the action item will change) 

 By Carey Nieuwhof

So, let’s just start by saying I’m not the most mechanically inclined person. But somehow that doesn’t exempt me from owning a garage filled with small engines: a snowblower, lawnmower, leaf blower, weed trimmer, and the like.
My technique for starting these machines is always the same: push the buttons and pull hard on the pull-cord. When that works, I’m off and running. When it doesn’t, I try the exact same things again. Then, I give up or call my friend John who fixes these kinds of things to tell him they’re broken.
 
More often than I’d like to admit, my friend John has come over only to tell me that my lawn mower wasn’t actually broken. I just needed a new approach. Sometimes I need to remember to adjust the choke, or try priming it again, or even to leave it because I flooded it. And then...like magic, it started because I tried something new. Teenagers are a bit like that.
 
When they don’t respond at age 15 to the things they responded to at age 10, we’re tempted to just try harder. But saying the same things more loudly, or trying the same tactics again and again won’t always turn things around.
 
After all, the teen years take away some of a parent’s favorite opportunities to connect, like bedtime stories and pick ups from school. So what do you do? Change your strategy.
 
If you want to get through to your teenager, here are some ways to connect that are unique to the teen years:

EAT TOGETHER
As your kids get older, it’s easier to let them fend for themselves at supper.

Don’t.

Plan family meals. And eat them together.

Even though I led a busy church throughout my kids teen years, wrote, traveled, and my wife worked, we almost always had supper together five nights a week when my kids were in high school. Why? Because we made it a priority.

Sometimes the meals were 10 minutes long (I have sons, after all...), but they were an anchor point for our family. We prayed together. We talked. And still today at 24 and 20, my kids love to get together for family meals.

What's Happenin' @ Forward Mid-Week

Below is a brief summary of what talked about tonight. Most of the time we teach through a series for several weeks at a time that way students that miss can get caught back up quickly, and so we can dissect a topic more fully than just a one night deal. Use the overview and questions for both you and your teen to answer and have a dialog that continues outside the church walls and into your homes. Use this opportunity to see what God is teaching your student and also allow your student to see what God is teaching/taught you.

Current Series:

Science is fascinating. Even if you hate science class, you have to admit that the idea of conducting experiments is cool. It’s amazing how adding just a few drops of one chemical can create a reaction, adding a few drops of another can stop or deactivate the same reaction and adding a few drips of a third chemical can make the first two glow in the dark or it can make them explode! What’s crazy is that you can’t tell by looking at something what reaction it will cause. Maybe it’s an activator. Maybe it’s a deactivator. Maybe it’s neither. The only way to know is to keep testing it out and see what happens. Believe it or not, this is something faith and science have in common. We all experience moments that have the potential to activate or deactivate our faith, and it’s hard to tell at first glance which is happening. This was especially true in the life of one of Jesus’ followers and dear friends, Peter. As we take a closer look at his ups and downs, we’ll discover how sometimes the very experiences that threaten to destroy our faith are the ones that can activate it in a whole new way.

 

This Week's Recap:

Week #1 (08.10.2016): The Comeback Kid

Bottom Line: Grace > Guilt 

What we talked about:

 Have you ever felt guilty about something? You know the feeling—that knot in the pit of your stomach when you make a mistake, that weight on your shoulders when you’ve said or done something you know you shouldn’t have. That’s guilt, and it always has a way of showing up when you do something wrong. Whether it comes from a small, seemingly harmless choice or a big decision with heavy consequences, guilt is a powerful feeling. It leaves us feeling frustrated and disappointed because we know we aren’t living the way we should be. And as a result, it can cause us to pull back from our relationship with God. In other words, guilt can start to deactivate our faith. But what if it didn’t have to be this way? What if guilt could actually a good thing? That’s how it worked for one of Jesus’ followers—Peter. And as we look at the way Peter responded to his guilt—and more importantly, how Jesus responded to Peter’s guilt—we’ll see that even our guilt can activate a new and powerful reaction in our faith.

 

This Part is For YOU Parents:

(Part 1 of 4.....the intro paragraph will be here each week, but the action item will change) 

 By Carey Nieuwhof

So, let’s just start by saying I’m not the most mechanically inclined person. But somehow that doesn’t exempt me from owning a garage filled with small engines: a snowblower, lawnmower, leaf blower, weed trimmer, and the like.
My technique for starting these machines is always the same: push the buttons and pull hard on the pull-cord. When that works, I’m off and running. When it doesn’t, I try the exact same things again. Then, I give up or call my friend John who fixes these kinds of things to tell him they’re broken.
 
More often than I’d like to admit, my friend John has come over only to tell me that my lawn mower wasn’t actually broken. I just needed a new approach. Sometimes I need to remember to adjust the choke, or try priming it again, or even to leave it because I flooded it. And then...like magic, it started because I tried something new. Teenagers are a bit like that.
 
When they don’t respond at age 15 to the things they responded to at age 10, we’re tempted to just try harder. But saying the same things more loudly, or trying the same tactics again and again won’t always turn things around.
 
After all, the teen years take away some of a parent’s favorite opportunities to connect, like bedtime stories and pick ups from school. So what do you do? Change your strategy.
 
If you want to get through to your teenager, here are some ways to connect that are unique to the teen years:

BE AROUND
Sometimes parents are tempted to buy their kids affection or attention. Losing your 13 year old? It’s easy to think you can win their heart with a new iPhone.  As a parent, never substitute a present for your presence.

In fact, one of the greatest gifts you can give your teenager is your presence—simply being around.
It’s the unscripted moments that will often produce the greatest conversations. A parent who’s always in the kitchen or around the house is just far more likely to have meaningful interactions with their kids.

No one expects it, but parenting a teenager may actually take more time than parenting a toddler.
Even if your kids don’t feel like talking to you, they’re glad you’re around. So be around.

Stay tune for the next part...next week.

What's Happenin' @ Forward Mid-Week

Below is a brief summary of what talked about tonight. Most of the time we teach through a series for several weeks at a time that way students that miss can get caught back up quickly, and so we can dissect a topic more fully than just a one night deal. Use the overview and questions for both you and your teen to answer and have a dialog that continues outside the church walls and into your homes. Use this opportunity to see what God is teaching your student and also allow your student to see what God is teaching/taught you.

Current Series:

Jesus instructed us to watch, and to be ready. The way we do that has little to do with writing books and predicting specific dates, but has everything to do with our faith and how we prepare.

 This Week's Recap:

Week #1 of 1 (08.04.2016):Ready to Party

Bottom Line: There is a day coming when we will be with our Lord, and when that happens, there is going to be a party. Are you ready for it?

Parent Meeting

Hey Parents, you are encouraged and invited to a VERY important meeting for all Parents of Jr Hi & Sr Hi students.  The ministry year is about to start and one of our biggest desires here at Forward, is to partner with you, the primary influences in your teenager's faith.  So in order to keep you in a position of positive influence we want to host this meeting to allow you an opportunity to learn about all that will be happening in your student's ministry year ahead.  Please, please please, keep the August 21st meeting as a high priority on your schedule.  It will be concise and to the point so that you can get on with your day as soon as possible.

FWD Mid-Week is Back!!!

Hey AWESOME parents.  We are so excited that Mid-Week has returned.  And with it, the parent page returns.  If you are not subscribed to the parent page, please see Nathan so he can add you.

Can't wait to minister to your teens this fall!