Family Discipleship July 2012

The Functional Authority of Scripture in the Home

by Aaron Davitch, Director for Adult Ministries and Child & Youth Discipleship, South

Julia had just shared in the 11th grade Bible doctrine class I taught at a Christian school that she did not believe God would ever send someone to hell who never had a chance to hear the Gospel of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ. In response, I quickly found myself saying, “I don’t really care what you think.” During the long two seconds immediately following those words exiting my mouth I thought to myself, “Wow. That sounded harsh” as I noticed the rest of the class looking at me with a bit of shock. I then continued, “…and neither should you care what I think unless it lines up with Scripture. We’re not after opinions here; what matters is what God says. And he has spoken in the Bible.” And then holding the Bible over my head, I continued, “so let’s both come under the Word and look together to see what God says about this.” 

I was trying to teach Julia and the rest of the class the doctrine of the authority of Scripture... Read the rest of the article.

Announcements

Register for the 4:12 Young Men’s Conference
by midnight July 1 and receive a FREE pass to the “Guys Only” Aquatic Park event.

North Parents

with Preschool–Grade 1 children this coming school year (2012–13), please attend an important 15 minute meeting on Sunday, July 8 at 10:40am in D500–504 (Chapel) regarding the addition of the 9am Sunday School hour for those ages. For more information, click here.

Can You Help Children Desiring God?

If you would be willing to share a testimony of how a Sunday School or Connection workbook or journal has benefitted your son or daughter, please contact Rick Busch at 612-703-7591.

Have you registered your children Sunday School or Wed Connection yet?

The Family Registration Form registers your children for fall classes in addition to helping us adequately staff those classrooms for ministry. Please complete the registration as soon as you are able.

Calendar and Events

Visit our website for July/August Family Discipleship calendar items or here for the Sr High summer calendar and here for Jr High JAMs.

Highlights

Mon–Fri, July 9–13 Music Camp North Campus, all campuses, for children entering grades 2–6 in Fall 2012. (Registration extended to July 2 if openings still available, contact Kevin Shull 651-328-7653 or Jeremy Thomas.)

Sun–Sat, July 15–21 Boy Scouts Summer Camp Many Point

Fri–Sat, July 27–28 Disciplines for Life Retreat for those entering Grades 9–12, all campuses, Edenwood Center, Eden Prairie

Sat–Sat, Aug 4 Foundation Builders 1, (Child Dedication class) Downtown Campus

Tues, Aug 14 Sr High Sup n’ Stuff & Twins Game. Purchase tickets online by July 9.

Sat, Sept 8 Fall Training for Family Discipleship Volunteers (Preschool–8th Grade) and (Sr High)

Fall Start Dates

Preschool through Sr High (pending fully-staffed classes)

Wed, Sep 12 Wednesday Kids Connection 

Sun, Sep 16 Parent & Student Orientation/ Open House

Sun, Sep 23 Sunday School

Opportunities

Open Volunteer Positions 

for Sunday School and Wednesday Connection: 

• Team Leaders lead a volunteer team to love and lead children in truth.
• Teachers pray, prepare, and teach children using a curriculum.
• Small Group Leaders develop relationships and encourage application of the Word.
• Worship Leaders lead young people in song and prayer with gravity and joy.
• Disability Ministry Aides care for a child's spiritual and physical needs.
• Substitutes are availale as needed in one or more of the above roles.
• Helpers serve as joyful "extra hands" in the classroom.

Interested in serving? Apply on our website or email Family Discipleship.

Volunteers Needed:

Assist with Check-in

• Flexible scheduling
• 30–45 minutes per scheduled time prior to services

Contact Amy Katterson to learn more. 

Serve in Nursery

Opportunities to watch over and pray for the youngest among us are available this summer. Interested? Contact Angela Shambro (Downtown), Bonnie Williams (South) or Carmen Tomaszewski (North).

Union Gospel Mission (UGM) Outreach

Young adults, youth, and families are invited to serve the clients of UGM on July 15, 3:30pm. Meet at the Downtown Campus kitchen to prepare sack dinners and transport them to serve at the Mission. Learn more.

Resources

Featured Parenting Resource

recommended by Sally Michael, Minister for Resources and Program Development

(Jon Hagen, Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries e-newsletter)

Need an Idea for Family Devotions? 

One approach my wife, two teenage sons, and I have recently adopted to get to know this Word--this Person--better is to individually read two chapters of the Bible a day and then answer these five questions (at whatever point in the day is best for each individual):

1. What are these chapters telling or showing me about who God is (e.g., His attributes, His character, His desires, etc.)?
2. What is this passage telling or showing me about human nature and/or who I am (e.g., how am I like/unlike any of the characters or human descriptions in this passage)?
3. Based on this Scripture, what areas of my life (e.g., attitudes, desires, motives, behaviors, etc.) do I need to think through/change/grow in and ask God for help with?
4. What in this passage was new or noteworthy to me?
5. Is there anything about this passage that I do not understand, or that I'm curious about, that warrants further investigation?

Then, after we've cleared the dinner table in the evening (we aim for 4 days out of 7), we'll take about 15 minutes to share our thoughts and answers with each other. It's nothing complex; like you, we're busy. The idea is to get us situating our lives each day in the bigger picture of what God is doing as we pass through eternity. We want to resist the smallish, short-term, me-centered life orientation and instead be an active part of His greater, long-term plan of redemption. 

Fighter Verses

Start memorizing on this date:
July 1   Proverbs 18:10
July 8   Psalm 91:1–2
July 15  Psalm 91:3–4
July 22  Psalm 91:5–6 
July 29  Psalm 91:7–8   

Visit www.fighterverses.com for memorizing tips.

Fighter Verse Resource Information, please contact Betty Dodge (612-338-7653 x490).

Family Discipleship Staff

See our website for a Family Discipleship Staff Directory

Contact Family Discipleship  (612-338-7653 x480)

“…strive to excel in building up the church” 1 Corinthians 14:12