Boys/Girls Study #2

This Sunday we will be having our second round of Boys/Girls Studies. All of the 6/7 girls will meet together in our second meeting room down the Middle School hallway. All of the 6/7 boys will meet together in our first meeting room down the Middle School hallway. These will take the place of our normal Sunday School Classes.

FAQ

We will be starting a new two week series tonight in Common Ground entitled “FAQ” (Frequently Asked Questions). Over the past couple of weeks we have had the kids submit questions that they may have concerning God and the Bible. We will be making an attempt to answer these questions in place of our teaching time.

Share Supper Review

The Share Supper was a great time! We all ate hot dogs, nachos, brownies, cookies, and more. Students roasted marshmallows around the camp fire and just hung out for good conversation. The night wrapped up by having music around the camp fire. Finally, everyone gathered inside to learn how to share Jesus with others.

Share Supper

The Share Supper is happening tonight. It will take place at Brad and Katie's house from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. We will be hanging out and learning how to share Jesus with others.

Small Group Readings

Just a reminder about the Scriptures for Small Groups:

Monday: Matthew 5:1-16

Tuesday: Matthew 5:16-32

Wednesday: Matthew 5:33-48

Thursday: Matthew 6:1-18

Friday: Matthew 6:19-34

Saturday: Matthew 7:1-14

Sunday: Matthew 7:15-29

Common Ground

Last night marked another great gathering in Common Ground. We played an entire 9 innings of kickball with the 7th graders winning by a score of 7-2 over the 6th graders.

We then mixed things up a bit and met in our future Middle School Ministry space. It was a very tight squeeze, but was gave us a glimpse of incredible things to come.

Last night was also the conclusion of our "What's Next" series. We have looked at Death, Hell, and Heaven. We brought it all together by having students answer the question: "Do I know where I am going?"

The night concluded with students going into groups with leaders for a time of sharing and prayer. The pictures below are diagonal shots of our space. The first picture was taken around 5:30 pm. The second was taken around 6:30 pm. It is a God-sized difference!

I SERVE

What is I SERVE? - I SERVE is a brand event that we are doing! Our Middle School Ministry will be taking an afternoon to serve others. I SERVE will provide students with the privilege of helping others!

Why be a part of I SERVE? - When a student signs-up for I SERVE, they will get the opportunity to do two incredible things:

#1) Serve God by helping others.

#2) Learn about a local ministry or organization in our community.

When does I SERVE take place? - I SERVE will take place on Sunday, November 23. It begins at 3:00 pm and ends at 5:30 pm.

How much does I SERVE cost? - The cost is $10.00 per person. This covers any supplies that we might need and will also provide a donation to the organizations that we help. As always, if money is an issue let us know; you can still be a part of this event.

How do I sign-up for I SERVE? - It is easy. The deadline to sign-up for I SERVE is on Sunday, November 16. Find $10.00, complete the release form, and place it all in the envelope. You will then receive extra information about I SERVE just a couple of days before it happens.

Sharing Project Deadline

Just a reminder that this Sunday is the deadline to turn in your box for our Sharing Project.

What's Next #3

This week things brightened up a whole lot as we talked about Heaven. The question that we explored was this... "What is Heaven going to be like?" Well, it is better than we could ever imagine. Here is just a scratch at the surface for some discussion:

1. Heaven will have lots of PEOPLE! Revelation 7:9: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

2. Heaven will be HAPPY! Revelation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 22:5: “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

3. Heaven will be BEAUTIFUL! Revelation 21:19-21: “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”

4. Heaven will be with GOD! Revelation 21:3: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

5. Heaven will provide us with new BODIES! I Corinthians 15:40: “There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.

Small Group Readings

Here are the Scriptures to help get students in tune with the Small Group discussion this week...

Monday: Mark 2:1-2

Tuesday: Mark 2:3-4

Wednesday: Mark 2:5

Thursday: Mark 2:6-7

Friday: Mark 2:8-9

Saturday: Mark 2:10-11

Sunday: Mark 2:12

What's Next #2

The "What's Next" series is in full swing! This week we moved from the topic of "Death" to "Hell." We camped out for a bit at Luke 16:19-31 and also explored other verses such as: Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, and 2 Peter 3:9. We then brought it together by answering the questions that Middle Schoolers ask about Hell. Here are a few drive time notes to discuss...

1) How long does Hell last? FOREVER.

2) Why is there Hell? FOR SATAN.

3) What is Hell like? HORRIBLE, ETERNAL, LONELY, and LEGIT.

4) Who is in Hell? THOSE WHO SAY NO TO JESUS.

5) How do I avoid going to Hell? ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST.

Hell is not INTENDED for YOU.

Middle Schoolers love Candy

There is nothing at all spiritually impacting about this post. It is just an interesting tid bit of information.

Since the new church and school year started on August 17, the Middle School Ministry has purchased, given away, and eaten over 55 lbs of candy. Middle Schoolers love candy!

Small Group Readings

Since we had the Boys/Girls study, we did not have any Small Group Readings. Here are the Scriptures to help get students in tune with the Small Group discussion this week...

Monday: Luke 5:1-11

Tuesday: Luke 5:12-16

Wednesday: Luke 5:27-32

Thursday: Luke 5:33-39

Friday: Luke 6:1-5

Saturday: Luke 6:6-11

Sunday: Luke 6:12-16

Share Supper

The Share Supper will be a great time for our students to “share” together. It is absolutely free! It will happen on Sunday night, October 26. It will be at Brad and Katie’s place. During this time, we will be eating, hanging out, and building community together.

We also recognize that many of our students are confused and struggle with how they can “share” Jesus with their friends. This night will provide them with a strategy to help reach their friends. Don't miss it!

Share Project #1

Just a reminder that the Share Project #1 deadline is Sunday, October 19.

What's Next Series

We just launched a new 4-week series in Common Ground entitled, "What's Next?" In this series we are not looking at stuff like "what's next" for dinner. Our focus is "what's next" in the biggest picture of all...the end of life.

Last week we began the study by exploring Death. Over the next three weeks, we will move into the topics of: Hell, Heaven, and Salvation. This is a series that is interesting to our students and will help them soul search. Here is the information we discussed from last Wednesday...

#1 I will die! Hebrews 9:27, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

#2 I will also live for forever! Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.”

#3 I will live forever in Heaven or Hell! Matthew 7:13, “Heaven can only be entered through narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide enough for everyone who chooses its easy way.”

#4 I will not know when I am going to die or when Jesus will return! 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”

#5 I will die a physical death, but I do not have to die a spiritual death! Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”