"Pay It Back Wednesday"

January 2008 Retreat

@ Mount Eagle

  We want to

 discover who

God created us to be!

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for a youth ministry where your kids will experience God's love for them in a way that is real, relevant, relaxed, and relational - look no further.  Our youth group is designed to be more personal for your junior and senior higher.  We approach ministry in small groups; providing regular mission opportunities, ministry events, camps, activities, and more.  We're all about shattering the teen stereotype that chu8rch is boring!  So, each Wednesday we celebrate our lives in ways that are Christ-centered, fun, instructive and welcoming - even to those kids who don't normally attend church.  Our weekday meeting ends with a short worship time that allows our teens to come to God in a way that makes it easy for them to invite their friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Invitation to All Is:

“It makes no difference who you are

         or where you’re from. 

If you want God,

and you’re ready to do as he says,

  

          the door is open.”  Acts 10:35

Terry Moser

Director of Student Ministries
(bio)

Church:  (870) 425-6036 ext. 4
Home:    (870) 431-8775

tmoser@fumcmh.org

In 2008 the Josephson Institute, which is some kind of ethics institute in Los Angeles, conducted a character survey of nearly 30,000 students at 100 randomly selected high schools nationwide. Among the findings:

• 64% percent of students said they had cheated on a test in the past year.

• 30% percent had stolen from a store.

• 42% percent said they would lie to save money.

• 83?  Said they had lied to their parents about something significant.

Still, 93% of the students surveyed said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character, with 7% adding, "I am better than most people I know."

After reading these stats, I got to wondering, how many of these responses came from kids claiming to be ‘good Christians’? And, how many of them are active in a church youth group? And, if you know the stats don’t apply to you—look around. Someone you know (maybe everyone you know?) must fall into at lest one of the categories. Right?

In the New Testament book of Philippians, these words are given to describe how we as Christians are to stand out—even in a world of cheating, stealing, and lying.

‘Finally, my fiends, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, whatever is excellent—if anything else is praiseworthy think about [and I would add, live your life trying to be] such things.

Like we talk about a lot, it’s a matter of choices. We can live a life of making bad choices that hurt others and ourselves, or we can work hard to be people of nobility, purity, loveliness’, excellence, and praiseworthiness—God’s choice.

So, my friends, surround yourself with exceptional friends. Believe me, you’re gonna need them as you press on in your Christian walk. It’s not easy, but together with God’s help, we can help each other make better choices.

See you in church.  Terry

source: David Crary, "Students lie, cheat, steal, but say they're good," www.chron.com (11-30-08)