OCTOBER 2010

MISSOURI VALLEY
CHRISTIAN CHURCH

RUSH
SCHEDULE

DINNER 6:00

WORSHIP 6:30

LIFE GROUPS 8:00

RUSH ENDS 8:30

1-1-9 (ON SUNDAYS 9:15

AM)

Contact Information:
Missouri Valley Christian Church
119 N. 4th St.
Missouri Valley, IA 51555
712-642-4179
youth@missourivalleychurch.org
www.missourivalleyyouth.org
Turning Point 2010! Spend a weekend staying on campus at Nebraska
Christian College. Join hundreds of other teens in worship at the KROC Center in
Omaha, NE. The weekend will be filled with music, teaching, swimming, and a
whole lot of fun. This year is different though. Most youth rallies have you sing and
then tell you what to do. At Turning Point, it will be different. You will experience
Jesus and His Word in more ways than just lecture. When they told me their format,
I was excited! This is going to be a great weekend to connect with Jesus!

See You at the Pole

This week almost 40 students and several
adults gathered for prayer at the Missouri Val-
ley High School flag pole. Energized by a youth
rally the night before they prayed for their
school, teachers, town, country, and more.
These teens from several churches stood to-
gether and said “God reveal Yourself.” Will
you make this your prayer and continue pray-
ing just as these students did Wednesday
morning the 22nd.
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1. Develop In Your Teen A Personal Faith In God. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to
do, do it with all of your might…” Certainly raising our children and developing spiritual relationships is the
ultimate “whatever.” Parenthood is one of the most pressure-packed vocations a person can experience, so
“all your might” is not an option, but a requirement. Tie each moment to God and not to a phrase like,
“Because I said so.” Explain and model the spiritual significance of your decisions.
2. Families Are Collapsing. Families are falling apart at a rapid rate. Children are being neglected because
of parents’ jobs, abuse, and divorce. Many families no longer communicate as in previous decades because
of media, music, and microwaves, just to name a few. How firm is your household's foundation? Is there se-
rious rotting among your relationships? Study the structure of your family. How much time do you share to-
gether? When was the last meal that brought the entire crew to the table? Set aside a minimum of one night
per week to eat and discuss your relationships.
3. Teen Sexuality. Teens seem to no longer be afraid of diseases or pregnancy. Many girls give their bod-
ies to the nearest “I love you.” Guys forfeit their virginity to prove their manhood, and all of this is wrapped
in the heated hormones of adolescence. Teach teens the reason behind God’s rules of purity. Read Ephe-
sians 5:3 & I Corinthians 6:19-20 together and talk about God’s desires compared to the heart’s desires.
4. Teen Substance Abuse Is On The Incline. The University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research
reports that 54.3 percent of students had used an illicit drug by the time they reached their senior year of
high school. Each year more and more teens become alcoholics, and nicotine & drug addicts. They use these
substances to escape life, to end life, or to live up to the expectations of their peers.
Inform yourself about substance risks, then inform your teen without accusing
him or her. Log on to http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDAHome2.html for information
and statistics about teens and drugs.
5. Unhealthy Media Overload. We are parenting the first wireless generation Why We Need
as proven by the comic strip Zits. Jeremy emails his mom from upstairs to ask
what’s for dinner? No one has to meet face-to-face, or even voice-to-voice. Email Strong
and chat rooms replace personal interaction most of the time. First, talk and lis-
ten. Even if it’s just to ask, “How was your day?” Second, regulate the media in-
Parents
fluences by getting unplugged. Set aside specific periods each week where the
television, radio, computer, will be unplugged and use that time to share your by Paul Evans & Al
lives. Never allow people or events to come into your home via media that you Millergre
would not have in person. Also, consider blocks on your computer to keep cer-
tain sites out of your home
6. Morality Is On The Decline. If sitcoms and teen nighttime soap operas re-
flect the values of today's young person, we can assume that premarital sexual
activity, binge drinking, and hurting others to get ahead have become the new
standards. Create on paper a set of core values for your family. What areas as a
family, not just for your teen, will you refuse to compromise? What standards will
become nonnegotiable?
7. Peer Pressure Will Always Be An Issue. Acceptance and love remains the number one longing of to-
day's young person. The need to fit in can be so overwhelming that teenagers will lower their virtues in or-
der to match a certain peer group. Guide your teen toward God-esteem instead of self-esteem. Explore Ro-
mans 5:6-8 with your child.
8. Teen Violence Is Increasing. The massacres at Columbine High School and other institutions uncov-
ered the eyes of society in relation to teen brutality. Even more shocking is the recent incident involving the
rape of a four-year-old girl by an eight-year-old boy. Increase your awareness of your children’s activities
without prying. Do you know the names of their friends? Do you know where they spend their time? Are you
aware of the influences that touch their lives? Do you know where they are gong via the internet?
9. To Provide A Safe Haven. Teenagers are prone to adopt an “everyone is against me” attitude. Their
friend’s tend to gossip. Dating relationships dissolve. Cheerleading and sports don’t always deliver the popu-
larity they promise. Home needs to be a place where teens know they won’t be judged wrongfully, or be ex-
pected to live up to some unattainable expectation.
10. Society's Spiritual Exploration. That sounds positive, doesn't it? The danger is that our culture is ex-
ploring every form of spirituality from crystals to angel worship. Spirituality is on the rise, but Christianity is
not the fastest growing spiritual group. Stress relationship over ritual. Many methods of spirituality focus on
freedom rather than faith. The Father desires followers who trust in Him, not those seeking fulfillment
through their own power (Read Hebrews 11).