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Check out all that has been happening in our Student Ministries! Hear from students and volunteers. Stuff for parents, students, and anyone interested in our ministry. Get it here: SRCstudentNewsletter_Winter_2014

Got this via my friend Kerry who is an elementary teacher. Sounds strangely like what it’s like when giving a talk to Jr. Highers. Gotta love ’em! Squirrel! lol!

This evening I was blessed with 10 tickets to see the St. John’s vs. Georgetown University basketball game at Madison Square Garden, and our family had a great time taking 6 Shelter Rock Church students with us. We enjoyed playing Heads Up together on the train, eating pizza and Krispy Kreme donuts in Penn Station, and best of all, seeing St. John’s win the game. Super fun night building memories with students.

Thanks Jack Crabtree for turning me on to these guys. They are so cool!

My buddy Ryan found this pic of us back around 1991. We had a rap group called G-Force. Ahhh yeah! Hard core right there. lol!

I just finished 5 months of focused prayers for my daughters using Every Day I Pray for My Teenager by Eastman Curtis. It contains 136 prayers covering spiritual life, areas of struggle, relationships, education, and life skills. Each day has a prayer for a specific area with Scriptural references. Here’s a word of encouragement from Eastman in the book:

“You don’t have to sit by and watch your teenagers self-destruct. No amount of psychological data can convince me that it’s normal for teenagers to go through stages of rebellion and detachment just because of their ages. The Word says that young people are to ‘be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). God has bigger plans for our teenagers than we do! He has greater expectations of this generation than we could ever have. If we will commit to pray for the youth of this nation and the world, we will see the supernatural power of God turned loose to transform them right before our very eyes.

“That means we have a job to do. The prayers in this book will help you use the Word of God boldly as you war in the heavenly realms for your teenagers (see Ephesians 6:12). But prayers need to be mixed with faith in order to see results! Remember, Hebrews 6:12 tells us that we inherit the promises of God through faith and patience. Faith and patience characterize an active advance on the kingdom of darkness which realizes that ‘the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds’ (2 Corinthians 10:4)! Do you really believe that God can move in revival on our young people? Then expect such a move! Throw away doubt and unbelief.

“When the circumstances you see in your teenagers’ lives seem to contradict the words you are praying, then choose to believe the Word. Isaiah 55:11 says that God’s Word does not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purposes for which He sent it. Because you are praying the Word you can expect the results for which you are praying.

“Remember, James 5:16 says that ‘the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’ Our intentional conversations with God can literally move His hand within our family’s circumstances. If we will learn how to pray the Word, as parents we can see our families raised in the admonition of our mighty God and a generation completely changed into His image” (pp. 296-297).

Far and away the most effective way to raise awareness and funds for a missions trip is by sending a Support Letter to your friends and family, inviting them to be a part of your mission to serve others. A good letter clearly defines the purpose of your trip, what you will be doing, and specifically how people can support you. Here’s a sample letter:

Dear _________________,

I am excited to announce that God has opened a door for me to travel to Lima, Peru in South America this summer! I will be traveling to Peru with a student team from my church, from July 1-8th. While there our group will be traveling to various local churches in the country to assist them in reaching people with the good news of Jesus Christ. We will be partnering with the local church in the area by performing dramas, sharing our testimonies, working with children, and doing various work projects to communicate to people that God loves them and cares for them.

Our team will be very busy for the next several months preparing for our trip. We will be rehearsing our dramas, preparing our testimonies, learning some of the language, and most importantly, growing together as a team. I would like to invite you to be a part of our team also! We need people who will pray for us as we prepare and as we go, and those who can help share some of the expense of the trip.

Would you pray about being a part of my support team? I am putting together a prayer and intercessory team, and I would love it if you would prayerfully consider being one of my prayer partners. Please call me at 555-555-5555. We plan to keep our prayer team regularly updated with prayer requests and praise reports on our student ministry blog.

If you would be willing to support me financially, all contributions are tax deductible. Checks should be made out to “Shelter Rock Church” and the envelope (not the check!) should be clearly designated with both my name and the name of my trip (“Peru Mission”). If the check is designated with an individual’s name, it is not acceptable as a tax-deductible contribution according to IRS. Because we need to meet deadlines for airfare deposits and other arrangements, I need to have adequate financial support raised as soon as possible.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration in these matters!

Sincerely,

John Smith

The training has begun!

On March 22nd I am running a half-marathon with Team World Vision to help change lives in Africa. The needs are great, but I believe there is something we can do!

$50 provides clean water for 1 person. Our church has a team running, and our goal as a team is to raise $100,000! My personal goal is to raise at least $1,310 ($100 for each mile I am running).

Please visit my personal Team World Vision webpage to make a tax-deductible donation.