P.O.D.- Parent Open Discussion Monday March 9th

Parenting.  It has to be one of the most complicated responsibilities known to man. And the only way to learn is through on the job training.  Through your screw ups, through your successes, and just by keeping at it when you want to give up.

Well, what if I told you there were other people who feel the exact same way as you?  What if I told you there are other people who are dealing with the same issues you are?  Wouldn’t it be nice to sit down and discuss some of the things we are dealing with, and get some advice from other people who have maybe been there already?

That is the purpose of P.O.D.  Parent Open Discussions are designed just for parents to talk with other parents. What better way to get help raising your teen than by sharing with those who are doing the exact same thing! 

So join us at Sycamore Creek Church on Monday, March 9th at 7pm for Parent Open Discussion- there are no teens or kids allowed and there is no subject that is restricted.  Come and join us as we all try to raise godly teens!

Cross Current Time Change

Connection.  Dictionary.com defines connection as a circle of friends or associated or a member of such a circle.  Being connected can do so much for a person.  Take our church for example.

Being connected at Sycamore Creek Church lets you know that when things are rough, you have people there to help.  And when things are great, those same people will celebrate with you.  It’s relationships that go deeper than just attending church together.  It’s life. 

And we as a youth group, are missing that.  As I watch students interact, or in a lot of cases, not interact with others at youth group, it pains me.  These students need that connection. 

So starting Sunday Night March 8th, we will be adding a small group element to Cross Current.  And with that, we are going to be extending the time of Cross Current to 6pm – 8pm. 

Our prayer is that students will begin to develop life-long deep relationships with peers and adults that will help them as they navigate life’s journey.

So please make note of the time change for Cross Current.  it will now go from 6-8pm!

2009 Medical Release Form

In order to participate in youth activities at Sycamore Creek Church, students are required to complete a yearly medical release form.  In the event that we need to, this form provides us with all the necessary information to begin medical care. 

The 2009 Medical Release form can be downloaded here:   2009medreleaseform4

Abstinence is “Not Realistic at all”

Travel back in time with me to the recent past.  It was fall of 2008 and John McCain was the Republican Presidential Candidate.  He announced his vice presidential running mate, shocking the world with his choice- Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Fast forward a couple of days, and it comes out that Sarah’s oldest daughter, Bristol, is pregnant.  Remember all those news stories?

In a recent interview with Fox News, Bristol is quoted as saying Abstinence is “Not Realistic at All”, but that she does encourage teenagers to avoid having sex.  Click here to read the article.

I would love to hear what you as parents have to say.  I have my own thoughts on this, and will share them in a day or two, but I want to give parents a chance to discuss by posting comments.

So do you agree?  Are you outraged?  Is there some sort of happy middle ground we should all be on?

Please leave a comment.  If you need to, leave it anonymously!

Teen Myth Busting

There is an interesting article from the New York Times about “The Myth of Lost Innocence”.  While I don’t necesarily agree with some of the information, I do see a trend that I should warn parents about.

We, as parents, need to be very careful to not push our kids to become adult faster than they are supposed to. Take a minute and think back to when you were your son or daughter’s age.  What kind of situations did you normally deal with?  Are they the same or different as the ones your teen is facing?

In most cases, our teens are dealing with more severe situations (some brought on by themselves) and we as parents need to remember to let our teens be teens.  And sometimes we have to be the bad guy to keep them from growing up to fast. 

After all, once innocence is gone, it is hard to go back!