Sharing Project #2

Our second Sharing Project is officially upon us. Last summer, our Middle School Ministry went to the Dorcas House for our Missions 101 site. The Dorcas House is a shelter for battered women and children.

This Christmas will mark the second year in a row that our Middle School Ministry will be providing gifts to the entire shelter. This coming Wednesday night, we will be handing out assignments to students. Here are the instructions for this Sharing Project:

#1) Pick-up your assignment.

#2) Buy a clothing item for your sponsored child, then a toy or age appropriate item, and a gift for a woman. This is a total of three gifts.

#3) Remember, the gifts do not have to be expensive. If it is still too expensive, please do what you can.

#4) Wrap and label the gifts. Be sure to place the name of your sponsored child on the packages. The gift for a lady does not have to be labeled. We do not have their names.

#5) Feel free to get any type of gifts that you want.

#6) All gifts need to be brought to our Christmas Blitz on Wednesday, December 17.

#7) If you cannot attend the Christmas Blitz, please bring your gift beforehand.

Thanksgiving

The Middle School Ministry wishes you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Common Ground will not be meeting on Wednesday, November 26. Have a great, safe, and blessed time with family and friends.

I Serve

We had a great time doing I Serve. Everyone gathered at the church around 3 pm for snacks and a quick Bible study on John 13. It is an absolutely incredible passage where Jesus paints the picture of servanthood by washing His disciples' feet. We then talked about I Serve and divided into serving teams. Next, we headed to the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center. Once we arrived we spent a little time hearing about the mission and the programs of this ministry.

Everyone then served. There were teams working in the Blessings Store, the Donation Room, the Hugs Room, and the property. Kids were sorting, cleaning, raking, and organizing. Next, our group went shopping. Each team was given a scenario and lists of items to purchase. The total registration fees were divided among the entire group. Each team spent $60.00 on baby supplies.

Once everyone returned, we headed back to the church. We wrapped up by sharing about what we did for the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center. One student said this about her experience:
"I learned to serve others with a willing heart, that Jesus served others, and baby clothes are really cute! I sorted and folded baby clothes and I bought stuff for a newborn girl. I learned how I can help New Beginnings and I had impact on someone's life."

I Serve Pictures

I Serve Details

It’s almost time for I Serve! Why do we call this I Serve? It’s simple...students will to get the opportunity to serve. Remember, we are never more like Jesus than when we help others. This year we will be going to the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center. Our purpose for going to the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center is two fold:

#1) Education: Learning about this incredible ministry!

#2) Experience: Helping this incredible ministry!

I Serve is this Sunday. Make sure that you are in our Middle School Ministry area at 3:00 pm. It’s at this time that we will check-in and discuss our afternoon. Next, we will go to the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center. We will be learning about the center and serving in different areas. We will then cap off the day by dividing into teams. Each team will be given a portion of the registration money to buy very special items for the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center from Wal-Mart. Finally, we will wrap-up and return to the church around 5:45 pm.

Skate Party Report

We had a great time skating last night! God blessed us with an incredible turnout. For the third time in 2008, we have set a record for Middle School Ministry attendance.

There were more Middle Schoolers at our Skate Party than anything we have ever done before. At the end of the night, we had a special guest talk about fears and shared the Gospel with us. The best part of all were the three boys that stood up to accept Christ.

The Skate Party is Here

Just a quick reminder about the Middle School Skate Party this Wednesday! Here are a few details to note...

Location: Benton Skate Center: We anticipate a large number of students. Be sure that you are patient and alert while dropping students off. It may get a little congested.

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: We will start skating a little after 6 pm. The Benton Skate Center will not be open beforehand. Be sure to pick-up promptly at 8 pm, so that we can exit the premises as soon as possible.

Register: Cards: Each student will be asked to fill out a brief registration card upon arrival. This will help us to know who was present.

Cost: Free: It is absolutely free to skate. There will be a concession stand and an arcade area available. This cost is up to the students.

Purpose: Outreach: We are praying for lots of 6/7 graders to come and be a part of this. At the end of the evening, we will be sharing with kids how much God loves them. We have a special guest that will be talking to the students.

I Serve

The I Serve deadline is today. If you forgot to turn in your registration form, please do so ASAP.

FAQ

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) series that we have been doing in Common Ground is officially complete! Over the past two weeks, we have been answering a few of the questions that our students have submitted.

A few weeks ago, we had cards out and kids had the option to write down a question that they had about God and His Word. It was good for kids to ask questions that they normally might not have asked. It is a great thing to see students step up and begin to question these things. Here are a few FAQs that we looked at during this series...

Where did God come from?

Was God married?

Why did my dad get sick and die?

Why did what happened to Anne Presely happen?

Why do people not believe in God?

Why does God love me?

Can you decline Jesus' invitation for salvation and then accept it later?

If you were baptized as a baby, do you need to do it again?

How do you ask Jesus into your heart?

How do you know when you have asked Jesus into your heart?

Why do we talk about Hell?

Is it wrong to have a boyfriend or girlfriend who is not a Christian?

How do I regain my parent's respect?

I Serve Deadline

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline for I Serve is this coming Sunday, November 16. If you plan on being a part of this, be sure to turn in your form and fee by this date. Our group will spending 2 1/2 hours on Sunday, November 23 serving at the New Beginnings Preganancy Center.

Sunday School

Since the beginning of the school year our Sunday School classes have been exploring: John the Baptist, Jesus' Baptism, Jesus' Temptation, Jesus First Miracle, Nicodemus, Samaritan Woman, Calling of the Disciples, Jesus Healing a Paralytic, and the Sermon on the Mount.

It has been a great journey thus far. We have an incredible group of men and women leading our kids through the Word of God.

Skate Party

Benton Skate Center
Wednesday, November 19
6—8 pm
FREE!

The Middle School Ministry has the Benton Skate Center rented out! Students are invited to come skate and hang-out with us. We want kids to bring lots of friends. The only money a participant might need is optional...the concession stand and arcade will be open.

Common Ground

Just a reminder about our midweek gathering...Common Ground. We meet each week from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Hope to see all students involved.