PARENT UPDATE | AM.YOUTH

November 9, 2024 Parent Update

Different schedule for this Sunday - no Small Groups / Intersection at the building this week. Make note of the MS Bowling and Lunch, and HS Dinner and Devo below. These are two separate events, meant to be a special time together for each group.

In this week's update:

1) Sunday Morning

2) Sunday Afternoon/Evening

3) HS Retreat - Next Weekend!

4) GOT 5? - During November

5) Wednesday Night Midweek

6) Pics from Last Sunday Night

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1) Sunday Morning

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40.
Will wrapped up our "Dinners with Jesus" series last week. New series this week called "But God." This 1st week will focus on "But God - who is rich in mercy" and we'll use Ephesians 2:1-10 as our Bible study text.
Miles Huffhines will be teaching HS. Monty and Heather and one of our interns, Maddie Bennett will be teaching MS.
Students need a Bible each week.

We have guests in class every week. We need our students who are a part of our church to be here consistently if at all possible. This really helps us encourage our regular students and welcome our guests.

2) Sunday Afternoon / Evening

Middle School: Bowling and Lunch - 12:00 until 2:00. We'll eat lunch in the Youth Cafe. Then head to Grand Station in the bus. We'll return at 2:00pm. Students need socks and $5. (You can pay through the church app if you want to pay by credit/debit card.) Students can change before or after lunch, or they can wear clothes on Sunday morning which they can bowl in. Please RSVP here: https://amchurch.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/950/responses/new
High School: Dinner and Devo - 7:00pm until 8:30pm. We'll take the bus to the Wardens' house and back to church. Supper, games, devo. Students need $3 for supper.
There is no Intersection or Small Groups at the building this week.
Next Week: Middle School Dinner and Devo, 7:00pm until 8:30pm. (We're looking for a host, so let me know if your family would be willing to host us in your home.)
No Intersection or Small Groups next Sunday night because of HS Retreat. (So - this week: special thing for MS on Sunday morning, special thing for HS on Sunday night. Next week: special thing for HS on Sunday morning (HS Retreat) and special thing for MS on Sunday night.)

3) HS Retreat - Next Weekend!

We'll have the webpage with travel details and a packing list available soon. We will send an email to all involved families when it is ready.
Until then, know that we are planning to meet on Friday night at 7:00pm
Please keep this retreat and all of our students in your prayers.
We can squeeze a few more students in if your son/daughter did not sign-up but can go.

4) Got 5? - During November

We are encouraging students to take at least 5 minutes every day reading their Bible, reading a devotional, praying, or doing a Bible study.
5 minutes is 1/288ths of a day. (so there is still 287/288ths of your day left after you spend time with God. (This shows it's kind of crazy when we sometimes have a hard time finding 5 minutes to focus on God.))
If they are already spending time with God each day, great. This is specifically for students who do not open their Bible or pray except when they are at church. We want to help them grow on their own.
September was "One Prayer a Day." October was "One Month, One Gospel." Hope everyone is blessed by "Got 5?" in November.

5) Wednesday Night Midweek

You've figured this out by now, right? Wednesday nights. 7pm. Encouragement. Faith. Bible. Friends. Awesome.

6) Pics from Last Sunday Night

Thanks to everyone who joined us for last Sunday night's Girls vs Guys Volleyball and Family Night, and for Intersection (youth worship) Here are some pics from the evening.
The pics of the small groups of students is from some small group prayer time. I didn't get all of the students, and I didn't get every group praying (they shared prayer requests before praying, and some of the pics was when students were talking.) Hope you enjoy!

Okay, youth section update. The last two weeks have gone really well. Thank you to everyone for your help.

Hope your family has a great weekend. Put God First!

November 2, 2024 Parent Update

Of all the things your son/daughter does during middle and high school, we want for church and youth ministry things to be some of the most memorable and most life-changing of them all.

In this week's update:

1) Sunday Morning
2) Sunday Evening

3) HS Retreat Sign-Up Deadline - It's here!

4) GOT 5? - During November

5) Wednesday Night Midweek

6) MS Bowling and Lunch

7) Mission Sunday Family Prayer Time

8) Our Awesome Interns

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1) Sunday Morning

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40.
We will wrap-up our "Dinners with Jesus" series this week. We're on week 4. Here are the topics for each week:
Week 1: A Dinner to Remember (Matthew 26:14-30)
Week 2: Hey, You…Yeah, You! (Matthew 9:9-13)
Week 3: Name Calling (Luke 7:36-50)
Week 4: Back Up (John 21:4-19)
Miles Huffhines will be teaching HS. Monty and Heather will be teaching MS.
Students need a Bible each week.

2) This Sunday Evening

Girls vs. Guys Volleyball at 6:00pm
Students play (or watch). Parents watch and cheer.
Girls are dressing as Superheroes (or anything quick you can grab to be superhero-ish. Guys are wearing Maroon.
Supper afterward for anyone (parents/students/friends) who wants to eat. (chicken and fried rice from Fusion Peru)
RSVP for supper here: https://amchurch.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/949/responses/new
Intersection (Sunday night youth worship) for all MS & HS students begins around 7 and ends around 8.
(We recognize this may mean you have an hour to go somewhere or to stay at the building while you wait on your MS or HS student. Feel free to get some grocery shopping done for the week ahead or spend some quiet time at the church building reading or praying for the upcoming week.)

3) HS Retreat Sign-Up Deadline - It's here!

Sign-up deadline is THIS SUNDAY
If you have to miss something on November 15-17, don't miss the retreat.
All info, last year's video, pics from last year, and the sign-up form can be found here: https://www.amyouth.net/hs-retreat

4) Got 5? - During November

In September it was "One Prayer a Day."
In October it was "One Month, One Gospel."
Now, with the arrival of November, we are encouraging students to take at least 5 minutes every day reading their Bible, reading a devotional, praying, or doing a Bible study.
Just like in previous months, we will give students helpful tools and resources to be successful.
And just like in other months, the goal is to help students who do not open their Bible or pray except for when they come to church. Growing on your own is such an important part of our faith. We want to help them do that.

5) Wednesday Night Midweek

If your son/daughter has been missing Wednesday nights at church, we have some good news: it's a new month. It's a chance to make Wednesday nights a part of your family's schedule this month. So, join us in November!
7:00-8:00pm each Wednesday night
It's a midweek shot of encouragement, fun, faith, Bible study, and friends.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights

6) Middle School Bowling and Lunch

Next Sunday, November 10, after the 10:30 assembly
We'll have lunch for all MSers in the Youth Cafe, and then we'll head to Grand Station for bowling. We will be back to the building by 2:00pm
Students will need $5. (You can pay through the church app if you want to pay by card.) RSVP link will be available soon.
AND - the Bowling and Lunch will be in place of the Sunday night youth worship for our MS students. We will be doing a special HS-ONLY dinner and devo on Sunday night, November 10.
Additionally - on November 17, we will have a MS-ONLY dinner and devo. (HS students will have been at the HS Retreat all weekend, so there will not be a Sunday night youth worship gathering for HS on November 17.

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7) Mission Sunday - Family Prayer Time

During the Family Prayer Time for Mission Sunday (this Sunday) our youth group will be praying for our two big mission efforts: Southern Christian Children's Home in Morrillton, Arkansas, and for Paint-O-Rama, which is our yearly outreach and service week of painting homes in B/CS. We will invite all students to pray with us, whether they have been a part of Paint-O-Rama or HS Mission Trip or not. Feel free to come and pray with us if you'd like, especially if you have been with us to Morrillton, or have been a part of our Paint-O-Rama efforts in the past.

8) Our Awesome Interns

We are so thankful to have Adrie Gruis, Maddie Bennett, Miles Huffhines, and Joseph Knox with us as youth ministry interns. They are all 4 AFC students, and these are some of the best of the best. Their love for God is incredible. Their faith in God's plan for their lives is inspiring. And they love our students so well each week. Please let them know you appreciate them every time you see them.

Okay, youth section update. We have never had a semester when we've had to spend so much time focusing on helping students be respectful during worship. But hey - things are getting better. Everything went much better last week in the youth group section at 10:30 - mainly because one of our interns, Joseph, sat in the youth group section and kept things good. But since Joseph is gone on an AFC weekend trip this weekend, we need the help of all parents to make sure you know how your son/daughter is doing if they are sitting in the youth group section this week.

As we wrap up this week's update, here are two encouraging reminders we came across this week. God bless!

October 26, 2024 Parent Update

We want to help you raise your children to know and love the Lord and to make Him as the number 1 priority in their life.

In this week's update:
1) One Month, One Gospel is Almost Done
2) Sunday Morning Schedule

3) This Sunday afternoon/evening - Fall Festival

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) Girls vs. Guys Volleyball

6) High School Retreat

7) Youth Group Section

8) Small Group Wrap-Up (link to lesson page)

9) Date Night - November 1

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1) One Month, One Gospel is Almost Done

The idea is for students to let the voice of Jesus become more prevalent in their lives by reading one of the four Gospels in October.
They pick the Gospel. They pick when and where to read it. Maybe once. Maybe lots of times. That's the goal.
We have given students summaries of each Gospel. On Wed night in HS class we spent a lot of time talking about the Gospel of John. 7 Signs. 7 I Am statements. Outline of the Gospel. And we took some time to really look at John 14:1-6.

We really hope One Month One Gospel has helped some of our students who never spend time in the Word on their own.

2) Sunday Morning Schedule

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40.
We will pick back up on our "Dinners with Jesus" series this week. We're on week 3. Here are the topics for each week:
Week 1: A Dinner to Remember (Matthew 26:14-30)
Week 2: Hey, You…Yeah, You! (Matthew 9:9-13)
Week 3: Name Calling (Luke 7:36-50)
Week 4: Back Up (John 21:4-19)
Students need a Bible each week.

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3) This Sunday Afternoon/Evening - Fall Festival

Okay, we have some students who have let me know they are doing a booth. Most students have not, and that's okay, but we want to make sure everyone knows this: Fall Festival is not a "come and hang out" event for MS and HS students. Students need to be serving somewhere.
Here is a link to the Fall Festival youth page: amyouth.net/fall-festival
There will be no Small Groups or Intersection this week.

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

7:00-8:00pm each Wednesday night
It's a midweek shot of encouragement, fun, faith, Bible study, and friends.
Get the homework done early, finish up the chores as soon as school is out, and get to the building for Midweek.
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights

5) Girls vs. Guys Volleyball

In the AFC Center at 6:00pm.
Students can play or watch. Parents cheer the teams on.
We may have team names and colors. As soon as the Seniors let me know, I will let everyone else know.
Volleyball first. Then supper for everyone. (look for an RSVP link next week.) Then Intersection (youth worship) for all MS and HS students.
Intersection will be over around 8:00
Sign-up to help here: Parent Help Page

6) High School Fall Retreat

November 15-17
Sign-ups are open
The HS Retreat only happens once a year, and it's going to be a great weekend.
All info, last year's video, pics from last year, and a sign-up form can be found here: https://www.amyouth.net/hs-retreat
Sign-up deadline is Sunday, November 3

7) Youth Group Section

As a reminder...

We need some parent help making sure your son/daughter is acting appropriately on Sunday mornings in the 10:30 assembly. This involves mainly middle school students, but some high school students are involved too.
Among HS students, it's mainly being on their phone continually throughout the worship service. Among MS students, it is a lot of talking, disrespect, throwing papers at each other, etc.
We have talked to students continually about this all semester and tried to help this situation. But we need parents to be aware of their son/daughter's actions during worship and sit in a place where you can see them.

8) Small Groups Wrap-Up (and link to lesson page)

We've had 5 great weeks of Small Group Bible studies. Thanks to all students who have come and been a part of these. We hope they have grown in friendship with other students and in their faith as well.
Our small group Bible studies this semester have focused on parables.
Week 1: Parable of the Rich Fool
Week 2: Parable of the Soils
Week 3: Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
Week 4: Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son
Week 5: Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
Week 6: Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Special thanks to our small group leaders: Adrie Gruis, Tori Grant, Samantha Williams, Miles Huffhines, Seth Williams and Joseph Knox.
Each student was given a book the first week they cam, and they were given a lesson each week to put in their book. So, they should have all the lessons to keep.
If you want to see the lessons for each week, here is a link to the lessons we sent to small group leaders and gave to students each week: Fall 2024 Small Group Lessons
The pictures here are from some of the small groups from last Sunday night, October 20.

Thank you to all students who came to small groups this semester. When your student comes, it really encourage other students and helps our church's youth ministry be stronger.

9) Date Night - November 3

This is going to be a great night.
Ted Cunningham is a very gifted speaker, comedian, and preacher. He is nationally known and speaks regularly at many churches and for ministries such as Focus on the Family.
John Singleton will be with us to sing for a few minutes before Ted Speaks. And if you do not know John Singleton, he is incredible. He was a part of our MS camp (Horizon) and our HS camp (High School Week) this year, in addition to being a part of AFC Soar and one of the AFC weekend trips.
If you can be here on November 1, it will be worth it.
Details and sign-ups in the church app.

God is big enough to oversee the whole world, and loving enough to care about you.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35, 37-39

October 19, 2024 Parent Update

In this week's update:
1) One Month, One Gospel is 2/3 Done
2) Sunday Morning Schedule - Different this week

3) Final Week of Sunday Night Small Groups

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) Fall Festival - October 27

6) Youth Group Section

7) When Your Teen is Struggling

8) For Parents of Students With Cell Phones

9) High School Retreat

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1) One Month, One Gospel is 2/3 Done

The idea is for students to let the voice of Jesus become more prevalent in their lives by reading one of the four Gospels in October.
They pick the Gospel. They pick when and where to read it. Maybe once. Maybe lots of times. That's the goal.
We passed out summaries of each Gospel on Wednesday night. We will continue to help students know things about each Gospel.

2) Sunday Morning Schedule - Different this week

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Different Bible Class plan this week only:
--- HS Week meet in the Chapel with Joseph Knox (intern) who is sharing his story about cancer with the chapel class. Sid Walker and CJ Wilson usually teach this class. We think it will be a great time for our HS students to join them and get to hear Joseph's story.
--- MS meets in the MS room. Heather and Monty will teach MS. We'll jump back into our theme from the MS Retreat: "My Faith."
We will take a week off of the "Dinners with Jesus" series this week and pick it back up with Week 3 next week. Here are the topics for each week:
Week 1: A Dinner to Remember (Matthew 26:14-30)
Week 2: Hey, You…Yeah, You! (Matthew 9:9-13)
Week 3: Name Calling (Luke 7:36-50)
Week 4: Back Up (John 21:4-19)
Students need a Bible each week.

3) Final Week of Sunday Night Small Groups

We've had 5 great weeks of Small Group Bible studies. Thanks to all students who have come and been a part of these. We hope they have grown in friendship with other students and in their faith as well.
Our small group Bible studies this semester have focused on parables.
Week 1: Parable of the Rich Fool
Week 2: Parable of the Soils
Week 3: Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
Week 4: Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son
Week 5: Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
Week 6: Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Special thanks to our small group leaders: Adrie Gruis, Tori Grant, Samantha Williams, Miles Huffhines, Seth Williams and Joseph Knox.

Coming Up on Sunday Nights:

October 20 - Small Groups

October 27 - Fall Festival

November 3 - Intersection

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

7:00-8:00pm each Wednesday night
It's a midweek shot of encouragement, fun, faith, Bible study, and friends.
Get the homework done early, finish up the chores as soon as school is out, and get to the building for Midweek.
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights

5) Fall Festival - October 27

All MS & HS students are invited to be a part of this year's Fall Festival.
IF STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED, they need to sign-up to help somewhere. It is not a night to show up and just hang out without working.
Students can get a group of students together and decide on an activity booth.
We need a parent to oversee each MS activity/booth. (You can oversee more than one booth.) The biggest things for parents to do is: make sure the activity goes well, make sure our students are doing a good job, make sure they are not running crazy around the church building, help them with ideas for their booth if needed, etc.
Students/parents can look for booth/activity ideas on Pinterest, if you need ideas.
Here is a link for parents to sign-up to help oversee a Middle School booth: https://amchurch.ccbchurch.com/need_detail.php?need_id=870

So far we only have two HS booths. And that's okay because we're still over a week away from the night. We'll keep encouraging students to come up with a plan for a booth or activity.

6) Youth Group Section

Things went MUCH BETTER last week. Thank you! As a review...

We need some parent help making sure your son/daughter is acting appropriately on Sunday mornings in the 10:30 assembly. This involves mainly middle school students, but some high school students are involved too.
Among HS students, it's mainly being on their phone continually throughout the worship service. Among MS students, it is a lot of talking, disrespect, throwing papers at each other, etc.
We have talked to students continually about this all semester and tried to help this situation. But we need parents to be aware of their son/daughter's actions during worship and sit in a place where you can see them.

7) When Your Teen is Struggling

All of us go through difficult times. It's challenging to know how to best help our children when they go through difficult situations or when they are struggling.
This guide by axis.org will give you some helpful tips so you'll be ready to walk through times of struggle with your student
https://axis.org/resource/a-parent-guide-to-a-struggling-teen/

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8) For Parents of Students with Cell Phones

Navigating how to help our children deal with cell phones is difficult, but it is something we need to help them with.
We are not called to buy a phone for a teen, pay the bill each month, and sit back and hope they figure out how to use it wisely and avoid the potential pitfalls.
A cell phone contract is a really good idea to help students know your expectations of using a phone. You can find a lot of sample contracts with a simple web search.
This info from axis.org will help you know some things we all need to be thinking about when it comes to our kids and their phones.
https://axis.org/resource/a-parent-guide-to-smartphones/

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9) High School Fall Retreat

November 15-17
Sign-ups are open
The HS Retreat only happens once a year, and it's going to be a great weekend.
All info, last year's video, pics from last year, and a sign-up form can be found here: https://www.amyouth.net/hs-retreat

Last thing: Some AFC Girls have invited elementary, middle school, and high school girls to come to a movie night on Friday, October 27. Encanto is the movie. 6:45 until 8:00pm. At the church building.

Below is a copy of last Sunday's student handout.

We hope you have a great weekend.

So glad your family is a part of our church.

Be here. Be involved. Be connected to others.

With joy!

- monty & heather

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

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October 13, 2024 Parent Update

Hey Parents - Hope everyone has had a good week. A few new things this week, including some special info about Sunday night. Enjoy!

In this week's update:
1) One Month, One Gospel Continues
2) Sunday Morning Schedule

3) Sunday Night Small Groups are Back

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) Fall Festival - October 27

6) Youth Group Section

7) High School Retreat

1) One Month, One Gospel Continues

During October, we have encouraged all students to pick a Gospel to read. Some students may already be reading their Bible on a regular basis, but we hope this will be helpful to those who are not.
The concept is simple: students pick a Gospel, then they read it. Maybe once. Maybe lots of times. Yep. That's it.

2) Sunday Morning Schedule

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40. MS in the MS room, HS in the HS room. Heather and Monty will teach MS. Miles Huffhines is teaching the HS class.
This is week 2 of a series called "Dinners with Jesus." Here are the topics for each week:
Week 1: A Dinner to Remember (Matthew 26:14-30)
Week 2: Hey, You…Yeah, You! (Matthew 9:9-13)
Week 3: Name Calling (Luke 7:36-50)
Week 4: Back Up (John 21:4-19)
Students need a Bible each week.

3) Sunday Night Small Groups are Back

After a one-week break because of Texas A&M Fall Break (all of our small group leaders are A&M students) we're back for our final two weeks of small groups.
Last Sunday night was awesome! John Singleton was with us and it was a really great evening.
Our small group Bible studies this semester have focused on parables.
Week 1: Parable of the Rich Fool
Week 2: Parable of the Soils
Week 3: Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
Week 4: Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son
This Week: Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
Special thanks to our small group leaders: Adrie Gruis, Tori Grant, Samantha Williams, Miles Huffhines, Seth Williams and Joseph Knox.

If your son/daughter has not been here this semester on Sunday nights, this is a great night for them to come.

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

7pm
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights

5) Fall Festival - October 27

All MS & HS students are invited to be a part of this year's Fall Festival.
IF students are going to be involved, they need to sign-up to help somewhere. It is not a night to show up and just hang out without working.
Students can get a group of students together and decide on an activity booth.
We need a parent to oversee each MS activity/booth. (You can oversee more than one booth.) The biggest things for parents to do is: make sure the activity goes well, make sure our students are doing a good job, make sure they are not running crazy around the church building, help them with ideas for their booth if needed, etc.
Students/parents can look for booth/activity ideas on Pinterest, if you need ideas.
Here is a link for parents to sign-up to help oversee a Middle School booth: https://amchurch.ccbchurch.com/need_detail.php?need_id=870

6) Youth Group Section

Alright, it's the announcement we don't like having to say...but...

We need some parent help making sure your son/daughter is acting appropriately on Sunday mornings in the 10:30 assembly. This involves mainly middle school students, but some high school students are involved too.
Among HS students, it's mainly being on their phone continually throughout the worship service. Among MS students, it is a lot of talking, disrespect, throwing papers at each other, etc.
We have talked to students continually about this all semester and tried to help this situation. But we need parents to be aware of their son/daughter's actions during worship and sit in a place where you can see them.

7) High School Fall Retreat

November 15-17
All info here: https://www.amyouth.net/hs-retreat

We hope you have a great weekend. And for those who have Fall Break, we hope it's a great one for your son/daughter. So glad your family is a part of our church. Be here. Be involved. Be connected to others.

With joy!

- monty & heather

Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. - Psalms 25:5

October 5, 2024 Parent Update

Hey Parents - Hope everyone has had a good week. A few new things this week, including some special info about Sunday night. Enjoy!

In this week's update:
1) One Month, One Gospel
2) Sunday Morning Schedule

3) Sunday Night

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) High School Fall Retreat

6) Knowing Your Children

1) One Month, One Gospel

During October, we're encouraging all students to pick a Gospel to read. Some students may already be reading their Bible on a regular basis, but we hope this will be helpful to those who are not.
The concept is simple: students pick a Gospel, then they read it. Yep. That's it.
We'll be providing encouragement all month long, and some info about each Gospel so students can know more about what they are reading.

2) Sunday Morning Schedule

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40. MS in the MS room, HS in the HS room. Heather and Monty will teach MS. Mark Hutchinson is teaching the HS class.
We have a new Sunday morning series in October called "Dinners with Jesus." The first week will focus on the Last Supper.
Students need a Bible each week.

If your son/daughter has not been here this semester on Sunday nights, this is a great night for them to come.

3) This Sunday Night Special Event

We're taking a one-week break from Small Groups this week, and we're so excited JOHN SINGLETON will be with us at 7:00pm.
John is a Texas A&M student with an incredible story. He was born in Rwanda. He was struck by lightning before age 1, and has been blind ever since. He grew up in an orphanage. Came to America with the hope of medical treatment for his blindness. Treatment was unsuccessful. And his orphanage closed while he was in the US. Without anywhere to return to, he was adopted by a lady in the DFW area.
John spoke to our students in April, has spoken to our Ladies Bible class and AFC students. He also went with us to Horizon (our MS summer camp) and at AFC Soar and on an AFC weekend trip.
We'll spend some time in worship with John.
Then we'll have some snacks, hang-out time, open gym, and the Dallas Cowboys game will be on until halftime.
At halftime (around 8:15-ish), we'll be done and we'll send everyone home.

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

Get here on Wednesday nights!
7pm
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights
We've got a great group of students coming each week. Keep it up. And if you son/daughter has not been here, it's a great time to start coming.

5) High School Fall Retreat

November 15-17
Sign-ups will be available soon
Retreat will be at Pineywoods Camp near Groveton, Texas (NE of Huntsville)
Cost will be around $65

6) Knowing Your Children Better

There are a lot of things we know about our children, and a lot of things we do not. To help you in your relationships with your children, here are some pages you can use to get to know them better.

21 questions you can ask your Middle Schooler to get to know them better: 21 Questions for your middle schooler
21 questions you can ask your High Schooler to get to know them better: 21 Questions for your high schooler

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We hope you and your family have had a great weekend. So glad your family is a part of our church.

With joy!

- monty & heather

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. - Galatians 5:25

September 14, 2024 Parent Update

Hey Parents - Hope everyone has had a good week. This week's update is quick. Enjoy!

In this week's update:
1) One Prayer a Day
2) Sunday Morning Schedule

3) Sunday Night Small Groups

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) Middle School Fall Retreat

6) Phase Cards Coming

1) One Prayer a Day

All month long, we are encouraging students (and parents) to think about their prayer life and either:
- begin praying daily if you are not already doing so
or
-become more focused in your daily prayer life
Prayer is not something which is easy for most people, but praying to God each day is life-changing.

If you are not already praying each day and spending time with the Lord, we encourage you to make a plan to start doing this each day this month. Here are some ways you can do this: Wake up a few minutes earlier; pull over in a parking lot for a few minutes after dropping off the kids or after leaving work; pray together as a family before you eat supper or before everyone goes to bed; use the YouVersion Bible app to go through the verse of the day or the daily prayer prompts on the homescreen.

2) Sunday Morning Schedule

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center. It's the last Sunday with our torn pews in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40. MS in the MS room, HS in the HS room. Heather and Monty will teach MS. Mark Hutchinson is teaching the HS class.
To go along with our "One Prayer a Day" in September, our lessons for this month are focusing on Prayer.

3) Sunday Night Small Groups

It's week two of small group Bible studies.
All groups begin at 7:00 and end at 8:00.
We will have a few snacks afterward in the youth cafe, so all students can come back together for a snack/supper before they head home.
MS Group leaders are Seth and Samantha Williams. HS Group leaders are Adrie Gruis, Tori Grant, Joseph Knox, and Miles Huffhines.
The small group lessons will focus on parables for September and October. Last week's lesson was from Luke 12:13-21. This week is Luke 8:4-15.

AM.YOUTH Small Groups: community, friendship, connection, faith. We hope your son/daughter will join us!

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

Get here on Wednesday nights!
7pm
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights
We've got a great group of students coming each week. Keep it up. And if you son/daughter has not been here, it's a great time to start coming.

5) Middle School Fall Retreat

Next weekend, for our 7th & 8th grade students.
We have posted everything you need to know here: MS Retreat Packing List and Travel Details
Parents, please make sure you see this info about writing a letter to your son/daughter for the retreat: Parent Letter Page

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6) Phase Cards are Coming

We mailed out Phase cards to families on Thursday. These cards contain some of the best research out there regarding mental and emotional development of kids, and they have tips to help your son/daughter grow in their faith.
A Phase is a timeframe in a kid/teens life when we can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. That means the whining toddler, the dramatic fifth grader, the stressed-out tenth grader, and the independently minded twelfth grader are not just “going through a phase” that should be wished away; rather, they are transitioning through critical periods that we are called to discover, celebrate, and navigate strategically with them.
Sending out letters and cards to around 135 families takes a bit of work. And in the midst of getting specific grade cards to each K-12 family, some of the MS and HS families got a letter with a typo in it. We do know the difference between you're and your, (and ur, lol) but a few of the typo-d letters still made it into envelopes. Sorry.
We hope the Phase cards are helpful to your family.
And remember, it's just a phase, so don't miss it!

We hope you and your family have a great weekend. So glad your family is a part of our church.

With joy!

- monty & heather

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. - Proverbs 12:18 (NLT)

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September 7, 2024 Parent Update

Hey Youth Parents -

Happy beginning of September to everyone. Here is your weekly dose of awesome: the AM.YOUTH Parent Update!

In this week's update:
1) One Prayer a Day
2) Sunday Morning Schedule

3) New Small Groups

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) Middle School Fall Retreat

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1) One Prayer a Day

We kicked this off last Sunday...in September we are encouraging all students (and parents) to think about their prayer life and either:
- begin praying daily if you are not already doing so
or
-become more focused in your daily prayer life
Prayer is not something which is easy for most people, but praying to God each day is life-changing.
Students who were in Bible class last Sunday received a calendar with a lot of prayer ideas on it.
We will continue to encourage students throughout the month.

If you are not already praying each day and spending time with the Lord, we encourage you to make a plan to start doing this each day this month. Here are some ways you can do this: Wake up a few minutes earlier; pull over in a parking lot for a few minutes after dropping off the kids or after leaving work; pray together as a family before you eat supper or before everyone goes to bed; use the YouVersion Bible app to go through the verse of the day or the daily prayer prompts on the homescreen.

2) Sunday Morning Schedule

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40. Tomorrow is our first day to be into our normal fall schedule: MS in the MS room, HS in the HS room. Heather nad Monty will teach MS. Miles Huffhines (along with other interns and Mark Hutchinson) will be teaching the HS class.
To go along with our "One Prayer a Day" in September, our lessons for this month are focusing on Prayer.

3) New Small Groups

Starting this Sunday night we will have small groups for our MS and HS students. We hope this will be a great encouragement to all of our students.
All groups begin at 7:00 and end at 8:00.
We will have pizza afterward in the youth cafe, so all students can come back together for a snack/supper before they head home.
MS Group leaders are Seth and Samantha Williams. HS Group leaders are Adrie Gruis, Tori Grant, Joseph Knox, and Miles Huffhines.
The small group lessons will focus on parables for September and October. This week's lesson is from Luke 12:13-21

AM.YOUTH Small Groups: community, friendship, connection, faith.

We hope your son/daughter will join us!

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

Get here on Wednesday nights!
7pm
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents also happen on Wednesday nights
We've got a great group of students coming each week. Keep it up. And if you son/daughter has not been here, it's a great time to start coming.

5) Middle School Fall Retreat

Faith, friendship, and fun.
September 20-22.
Sign-up deadline is this Wednesday, September 11
Cost is $60 per student. Scholarships available.
Sign-ups are available here: MS Retreat Webpage
We do one retreat a year for our MS students and one per year for our HS students. So, middle school families, if your son/daughter wants to go to a church retreat this year, this is the weekend.

We hope you and your family have had a great weekend. We love your kids and we love your family.

With joy!

- monty & heather

So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:19

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Awards from Cardboard Boat Race - Given out this past Wednesday night

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1st Place - Kate and Clara S

Best Looking Boat - Honour and Emily

Most Like a Real Boat - Mila

Judge's Choice - Katherine

Best Boat Design - Kate and Clara S

Most Creative Boat - Honour and Emily

Most Surprising Performance -
Aiden, Max, Koen and Case

Most Enthusiastic Drivers -

Connor, Jackson, Luke

Most Duct Tape Award - Luke

August 31, 2024 Parent Update

Hey Youth Parents -

Remember when you woke up this morning? And you were thinking: "Wow, I wish it was Parent Email Update Day." Well...surprise, it is! Yep, it's the AM.YOUTH Update, winner of the "Best Parent Email Update of the Week, Within a 1.8 Square Mile Radius of the Pond at our Church Building," (The award is much more prestigious than it sounds. Much more. Very much more.) This update has all the info you need to help your son/daughter be connected to others at church and all the info you need to make your weekend awesome. Enjoy!

In this week's update:
1) One Prayer a Day
2) Youth Movie Day - Tomorrow

3) Sunday's Schedule

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

5) Middle School Fall Retreat
6) Cardboard Boats Wrap-Up
7) High School Fantasy Football

8) Daniel - Sight & Sound Production

9) End of Summer AM.YOUTH Video

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1) One Prayer a Day

Starting, September 1, we are encouraging all students (and parents) to think about their prayer life and either:
- begin praying daily if you are not already doing so
or
-become more focused in your daily prayer life
Prayer is not something which is easy for most people, but praying to God each day is life-changing.
We will give students tips, ideas, and help to be able to be successful at this.
We will continue to encourage students throughout the month.

If you are not already praying each day and spending time with the Lord, we encourage you to make a plan to start doing this each day this month. Here are some ways you can do this: Wake up a few minutes earlier; pull over in a parking lot for a few minutes after dropping off the kids or after leaving work; pray together as a family before you eat supper or before everyone goes to bed; use the YouVersion Bible app to go through the verse of the day or the daily prayer prompts on the homescreen.

2) Youth Movie Day - Tomorrow (no Intersection this week)

Because of the holiday weekend, we are planning something different in place of Intersection. Here are the details:

The Forge movie, at Bryan Premiere
3:45pm (we'll meet at 3:40 at the theater to pass out tickets)
Cost is $6
We have a block of tickets. We have NO IDEA how many students will want to come. But if we sell all of our block, we'll try to get more.
The movie is 2 hours long, so we assume we'll be done around 6:00pm. (because of previews at the beginning)
Friends are welcome.
RSVP as soon as possible if you want to come. Click here to RSVP: https://amchurch.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/928/responses/new
We think this will be an encouraging movie to our students. We love helping our students find entertainment which helps them grow in their relationship with God.

See the trailer for The Forge by clicking on the video below.

3) Sunday's Schedule

Worship at 8:30 in the chapel and at 10:30 in the worship center.
Bible classes at 9:40. MS & HS class will focus on prayer. After we talk about some different Bible verses, we'll introduce One Prayer a Day and encourage students to pray every day this coming month.
Cardboard Boat Race Awards will be presented at the beginning of class.
The Forge movie, at 3:45 at Bryan Premiere. Cost is $6. Scholarships available (talk to Monty - we're glad to help - and we want all students to be able to come to this movie if they are willing.)

4) Wednesday Night Midweek

7pm on Wednesday nights
We begin together with all MS & HS students before splitting up into separate MS/HS classes.
Classes for parents are also available
We've had a large number of students coming each week so far this semester. It's been great and we encourage students to keep coming, even though schedules get busy as the semester goes on.

5) Middle School Fall Retreat

September 20-22.
Camp Pineywoods
We'll meet on Friday evening to leave. We'll be back on Sunday after morning worship.
Cost is $60 per student. Scholarships available.
Sign-ups are available here: MS Retreat Webpage
We do one retreat a year for our MS students and one per year for our HS students. So, middle school families, if your son/daughter wants to go to a church retreat this year, this is the weekend.

6) Cardboard Boats Wrap-Up

Last Sunday night was great. Thanks to everyone who came out to Lake Bryan for the cookout and cardboard boat race.
Thanks also to everyone who made a cardboard boat.
You can see pictures here: https://amyouth.smugmug.com/Cardboard-Boat-Race-2024

7) High School - Fantasy Football

We have a fantasy football league for our HS students. If they would like to be a part and have not yet let us know, tell them to let us know.

Fantasy football takes real NFL players and puts them on "fantasy" teams. Students can manage their teams and switch players in and out each week, make trades, etc. Or they can just set their team up and let it go for the season and see how they do each week. We'll announce scores each week at Midweek.

8) Daniel - Sight & Sound Production

This weekend, Sight & Sound's production of Daniel is in theaters. Sight & Sound is a theater company in Branson and Pennsylvania which does world-class Biblical on-stage productions. We took our HS students to see their production of Jesus in 2022 and to see Esther this past summer. We wish you could have heard the cheers in the bus when we pulled up to the theater earlier this month at HS Week. To have HS students excited about a Biblical on-stage production...well, you know it must be good.

If you have never seen a Sight & Sound show, we encourage you to check them out. If you need something to do today or Monday, this would be a fun thing to do.

9) End of Summer AM.YOUTH Video

If you missed the End of Summer video at the Back to School Family Fellowship - or if you want to see it again - you can see it here: https://youtu.be/CiqyvTzHEdw
And pics from the summer can be found here: https://amyouth.smugmug.com/

Hope you've had a great weekend. Hope the Aggies can pull out a win tonight. Hope to see you tomorrow. And hope your son/daughter can join us in Bible class tomorrow. Remember to RSVP for The Forge if your son/daughter can go. We love your kids and we love your family.

Put God First!

- monty & heather

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:28

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A&M Youth