all.access.parents

February 22nd, 2012

2012-02-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

February 15th, 2012

2012-02-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

What To Bring To SLAM

2012-02-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

Lovesick Dating

2012-02-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

In Chap Clark’s book, Disconnected, he says that parents are responsible for providing the boundaries necessary to help a child grow into the person God has created and redeemed them to be. That’s a pretty heavy task. It requires first that parents know where the child is—an ongoing challenge in itself. And second, it requires that parents know where the dangers lie, where the areas of caution are and what signals indicate that something might be holding the child back.

In the series "Lovesick", we are talking with your child about dating. But more importantly we are talking about balance. In a world where finding a boyfriend or girlfriend sometimes becomes all-consuming, we want to remind students that dating is only one of many areas in their lives. Like everything else, it is good in moderation, when it is not taken to extremes. We also want to help them develop healthy relationships, whether those are dating relationships or friendships with the opposite sex, and help them understand the value in leaving a positive impression in the lives of those we come in contact with.

As a mother or as a father, you are in a better position than anyone to know and understand how dating works in your child’s life. Maybe they haven’t dated anyone, but they are constantly thinking about ways to find that perfect someone. Maybe they haven’t been alone since fourth grade. Maybe they’ve been dating the same person for the past two years. Wherever they fall on the spectrum, you are viewing the situation close-up. Their emotions are in it. You, who have more insight and more life experience, can look down the road for them when they don’t have the perspective to do it on their own. Are there dangers ahead? Is there something that might be holding them back from experiencing the life they were intended for?

I would like to challenge you to take a few minutes this month to reflect on your child’s situation—especially in the area of dating. Think of ways you can be creative and helpful as you set boundaries and help them navigate the wonderful and risky world of relationships.

Lovesick

2012-02-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IN ALL.ACCESS:
Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Lovesick
Series Overview
There’s something pretty amazing about being in love, isn’t there? The butterflies in your stomach. The dreamy gazes. No wonder so many of us are so in love with being in love. But if you look around—in the media, at school, in life—we’ve taken what God created and twisted it, morphed it and configured it into something it was never meant to be—an obsession. When romantic relationships become an obsession, balance goes out the window. We miss out on opportunities and experiences we might otherwise have had. And sometimes we even forget who we are. There’s got to be healthier way to do this. There’s got to be another way than being so lovesick.

Session One (February 22nd 2012)
There is nothing quite like the experience of falling in love. Nothing. In fact, some people are willing to do just about anything for the feeling of being in love, for the knowledge that someone values them, finds them significant and worthwhile. Some people are even willing to give up who they are as an individual, give up their identity, just for the sake of a relationship. This week we are going to talk to students about both the fun and wonderful parts of dating and also the danger of sacrificing who they are and who they are designed to be for the sake of romance.

Session One Parent Cue: Parents, share a time when you were more in love with being in love than you were with the person you were with.

Session Two (February 29th 2012)
“Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket!” We’ve all heard the phrase before, some of us have probably even used it a time or two, but when it comes to dating, it can be pretty hard to actually put into practice. We live in a culture where marketing, events and entertainment are driven by romantic relationships, where people are profiled based on relationship status, and where love and romance are a part of our daily conversations. For many students it just seems normal, almost expected to devote all of their time, energy and affection to acquiring or maintaining a dating relationship. This week we’re going to talk to students about finding balance as they learn to fit dating into the many other, equally important, areas of life.

Session Two Parent Cue: Parents, if you could go back and re-do or undo relationships you had in high school, how would your high school experience have looked differently? What are some things you would have gotten involved in, what would you have pursued or tried?

Session Three (March 7th 2012)
High school reunions can be either something we eagerly look forward to, or anxiously dread. The reasons for our excitement or our hesitation are usually the same—the people. We’re concerned about who we will encounter from our past and the lasting impression they had on us—for better or for worse—and the lasting impression we had on them. And no relationship has the ability to leave an impression, for better or worse, than a dating relationship. Dating relationships just have a lot of potential to do great good, or harm in the mark they leave. So this week we are going to help students explore dating from the perspective of the one they date. We want to challenge students this week to think about their own responsibility, regardless of where they may have been in the past, to always consider what they can do in the future to make someone’s story better, and to treat them in a way that will be beneficial and positive in the long run.

Session Three Parent Cue: Parents, share a relationship from your past that you did well, and one that you didn’t. What did you learn from both?

Extra Info:
• March 14th will be a Fine Arts Preview Night and parents are welcome to attend.

February 1st 2012

2012-02-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

Camps

2012-01-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T20:01:00.001-08:00

January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T18:43:00.000-08:00

College Scholarship Available

2011-12-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

Before I give you some info on the Riggs Scholarship let me feed you a few other cool things that are coming up.

First Thing: If you have even the slightest idea of attending North Central University you might want to mark your calendars for March 29th-30th, 2012. This is NCU Days and is only $15 if you pay ahead of time ($20 at the door). You will get to attend college classes, stay overnight in a residence hall, eat in their renowned cafeteria, worship with other NCU students and hear from great guest speakers! You can find more information on this at www.ncucollegedays.com (It will be up to you as the parent to plan your own trip.)

Second Thing: Let me feel you in on another secret about NCU. They are currently waiving their application fee's until Jan 15th, 2012. So if you want to go apply now would be the time.

Ok, now for the Riggs Scholarship Info:

A high school senior that plans to attend one of the 17 undergraduate Assemblies of God endorsed colleges or universities (www.colleges.ag.org) may be eligible to apply for a Ralph Riggs Scholarship. This scholarship fund is made available by the Assemblies of God Trust in partnership with The Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education.

Two Riggs scholarships (The General Superintendent's Scholarships) of up to $30,000 each will be awarded (over a 4-year period) to one male and one female high school senior. Eight one-time scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded to high school seniors (and distributed over the student's first two semesters).

To be considered for a scholarship, an applicant must have a minimum of a 3.7 GPA; an ACT score of 28 or SAT score of 1870; be active in an Assemblies of God church; and plan to attend an endorsed AG university directly following high school. Scholarship recipients will be chosen based on these qualifications: academics, extracurricular involvement, Christian service, Christian life, financial need, personal essay and references.

The Riggs Scholarship Fund is one of three scholarship programs sponsored by AGTrust in its efforts to train young leaders and empower future generations. The AGTrust is under the leadership of Chairman Dr.George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God.

Since 2009, AGTrust has awarded a total of $310,000 to 32 high school graduates chosen as Riggs Scholarship recipients. The 2012 Riggs scholarship winners will be named in April 2012.

To download the Riggs Scholarship application form, go to www.agtrust.org. The application submission deadline is February 15, 2012.

New Series: WE

2011-12-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IN All.ACCESS:
Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your student about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your student, and allow your student to see what God is teaching you as well.

WE:
Series Overview
In following Christ, there is one truth that most of us forget—we were never meant to do this alone. We need other people. It’s critical not just because we need friends, but also because in community we understand more about who God is. We see how He is working in other people’s lives. We learn things that God has taught them, and we get an opportunity to love and serve others. The WE series helps us discover the “WHY” behind community—why we need it, why we should pursue it.

Session One (January 4th, 2011)
We need other people. We get that when we feel lonely, don’t we? But the reality is that there are times when the last thing we want is someone around—whether it’s our own grumpiness or because we just don’t want to be hurt again. But God made us in such a way that people fill a very specific need in our lives. And while God does supply all our needs, He created us to need other people, too.

Session One Parent Cue: Where do you have the greatest sense of community in your life? How has this been a good thing? How has it been a difficult thing?

Session Two (January 11th, 2011)
We talked last week about how we need people, and if we’re honest, we all have realized that at some point or another. But there’s a reluctance to take that next step because it’s risky. It’s scary. And most of all, it’s messy. True community costs us something. But if we don’t have it, it will cost us a lot more.

Session Two Parent Cue: Share a time when you were hurt by someone. Then share a time when you felt lonely and really needed other people around. After some time and perspective, which one was worse? Why?

Session Three (January 18th, 2011)
People’s stories are powerful, aren’t they? There’s something about hearing what’s going on in another person’s life that puts things in perspective for us. We may be thinking that God has forgotten us, that He doesn’t care about what’s going on in our world, but then we hear someone share how God showed up when they really needed Him. And because of that, we begin to think that maybe, just maybe, He can be there for us, too. That’s the power of community. It’s how we see God at work in our world. It’s how we grow closer to Him. And it’s an important part of growing in our relationship with Him.

Session Three Parent Cue: What have you learned about God from other people in your life?

Extra Info:
February 1st guest speaker Geoffrey Bassett will be with us.
February 10th-12th is our Winter Retreat called SLAM.before January 25th.

Get the discounted price with the Early Registration any time before January 25th.

Picking A College

2011-12-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

Parenting doesn’t stop after High School, and this next stage can be a very exciting and scary time as your student looks at taking the next step in education. A lot of times students don’t have a clue on what they want to do with their lives and the cost of a college with no plan is a scary thing.

This is where a Masters Commission (MC) can be a great option. What is Masters Commission? It was started by Pastor Lloyd Zeigler in 1984 as a small group of people agreeing to dedicate one year of their life to God. MC's have now grown into one of the most powerful, intense discipleship movements in the world.

With Masters Commission’s popping up all over, there are some things you need to be aware of. One is that they are not all good programs, and I would even go as far to say that some do more harm than good. So do your research before giving a year of your life!

Here are a few that I can give high recommendations for:

· Fort Myers Master’s Commission runs out of First Assembly of God in Fort Myers, FL – This is one of the longest standing MC’s and Pastor Art VanZanten is one of the best when it comes to discipleship. And who doesn’t want to spend a year in FL?

· Heartland Master’s Commission runs out of River of Life Church in Cold Spring, MN - At this MC you will get 60 credits at North Central University while learning ministry in a rural setting. River of Life Church's youth ministry is one of the top in the Nation!

Some Masters Commissions have now taken a new look as they have moved more into leadership development and education. I have some good friends that are connected to these programs and churches. I have also sent many former students through these programs and they have had all had good things to report. The top three are:

· Oaks School of Leadership runs out of The Oaks Fellowship in Red Oak, TX

· James River Leadership runs out of James River in Ozark, MO

· Focus One runs out of Rockford First in Rockford, IL

I have confidence in all of these programs, but the fear I have when students take the MC route is that they get trapped in the program. I call them "MC Lifers." They become content paying to come back year after year and serve the church. I always tell people, "One year and then off to college; two years max!"

What if Masters Commission is not for you? Or what college do you go to after one year of Masters Commission? The top Assemblies of God college I would recommend is North Central University in Minneapolis, MN. The Vice-President, Nate Ruch is my mentor and the man who connected me to Pastor Aaron when I was looking for a new church to call home. In going to NCU, I would be able to introduce you to my old church home, Emmanuel Christian Center in Spring Lake Park, MN and get you serving in their youth ministry.

Assemblies of God colleges to look into are:

North Central University in Minneapolis, MN (Pastor Aaron's Top Pick too)

· Zion Bible College in Haverhill, MA

· Western Bible College in Phoenix, AZ

· Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA

· Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixvill, PA

· Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND

· Southwestern AG University in Waxahachie, TX

· Northwest University in Kirkland, WA

· Native American Bible College in Shannon, NC

· TX Latin American Bible Institue in San Antonio, TX

· CA Latin American Bible Institue in La Puente, CA

· Global University in Springfield, MO (specializes in online studies from home)

· Evangel University in Springfield, MO (Pastor Don's Top Pick)

· Caribbean Theological College in Bayamon, PR (e-mail them at info@ctcad.com)

· Central Bible College in Springfield, MO

· Bethany University in Scotts Valley, CA

· AG Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO

· American Indian College in Phoenix, AZ

There is nothing wrong with choosing a secular collage, but it is going to be very important to find a good church and other Christians to keep you on track. Remember the people closest to you shape who you are! Look into Chi Alpha and see if the college you are looking at has a group on the campus. You can use the Group Locator to do that.

Have fun with this stage of your life and remember that your church family wants to stay connected with you. So don’t forget about us and we will not forget about you! Praying the best for this next chapter of your life!

December 14th 2011

2011-12-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Fine Arts

2011-12-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

You can go to the all.acces facebook community page and look under events for all the categories for this year. Here is a little promo video for Fine Arts:

December 7th 2011

2011-12-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

Creating Memories

2011-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

81 Christmas Ideas To Do With The Family

November 30th 2011

2011-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

New Series: A Christmas Story

2011-11-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

A Christmas Story:

Series Overview

Christmas is such a crazy time. Students are busy dreaming about what they want to get, and parents are shopping frantically for what they want to give. We all become consumed with malls and wrapping paper. It’s a Wonderful Life and How the Grinch Stole Christmas play on TV and Santa Clause poses for pictures with every excited (and screaming) child. At church we tell the story about shepherds, angels and a manger, but so often the significance of the story is lost because it seems like just one more holiday tradition. Or we’ve heard it so much that we don’t hear it anymore. Our upcoming series is going to tell the Christmas Story—but in a slightly different way.

Session One (November 30th, 2011)

Everyone has a vision for their lives. We dream of the type of home we’ll live in, the car we’ll drive, the job we want, the love we desire or the family we’ll have. And even if we wouldn’t dare share those things with someone else, deep within us we hope that life will turn out one way . . . even if we’re at the same time skeptical it won’t. But sometimes the life we envision is different than the one we actually have . . . okay, most of the time. So how do we react when life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped? And more importantly, what do we do with Jesus, because as wonderful as He is, He steps into our lives and makes things messy. He leads us down paths we never thought we would go. He asks us to do things we don’t always want to do. And even with all that, somehow life still turns out even better than we dreamed.

Session One Parent Cue: What are some events in your life that turned out differently than you hoped? Looking back, did things work out better than you expected at the time?

Session Two (December 7th, 2011)

It’s so easy for something to capture our sense of wonder, especially during the Christmas season. For some of us, there is that one thing we would love to unwrap. Whether it’s the latest cell phone, wide screen TV or money for a shopping spree, there is one thing that makes our heart skip a beat with anticipation wondering if this Christmas it will happen. Simeon lived his whole life with that type of anticipation. His life was consumed by one thing, but it was really the only thing that mattered.

Session Two Parent Cue: What would your life looked if the one consuming thing behind every action and every word was Jesus?

Session Three (December 14th, 2011)

It’s the easiest thing in the world to do, and that’s probably why so many of us are guilty of doing it. God gives us something--a talent, a provision, a relationship--we take it, make big plans for it, then somehow forget all about Him. In the act of serving God, sometimes we completely miss Him. Sometimes our big God becomes very small in our lives. Perhaps that’s why God chose Mary, someone who was very aware of what little she had to offer, to provide the gift that the world so desperately needed. Mary is remembered not only for what she did, but for why she did it--simply to honor God’s request.

Session Three Parent Cue: Have you ever had a moment when you felt like God asked you to do something specific? How did you respond?

Extra Info:

December 23rd and December 30th we will not be having all.access. Take that time to be with family and remember what Christmas is all about. We will be praying for you over this Christmas Season.

November 16th, 2011

2011-11-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

Intro To Parent Blog

2011-11-15T14:35:00.001-08:00

November 9th 2011

2011-11-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

November 2nd 2011

2011-11-02T19:50:00.001-07:00

New Series "Doubt"

2011-10-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IN ALL.ACCESS:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about in all.access. Listed below each summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your student about the messages. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but also to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your student, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Doubt:

Series Overview

Everyone has moments of doubt. We doubt if we are heading in the right direction when going some place new. We doubt if that low-fat snack is really as healthy as it claims to be. We doubt if the people in our lives really care about us—even in spite of the evidence that they do. And sometimes our doubts are about God. Can we trust God? Does God really have our best in mind? What does a particular Bible verse actually mean?

When questions arise, they can be a little unsettling, especially questions about faith. But what if God was big enough to handle the questions? He is. What if God was secure enough to handle our uncertainty? He is. And what if doubt actually paved the way to a deeper belief, a stronger relationship with Christ? It can.

Message One (November 2, 2011)

You know those nagging questions that seem to linger in the back of your mind? The ones you hesitate to ever speak out loud, admit you have or let anyone else know you think? Questions like: “Does God hear me when I pray?” “Does He have a plan for my life?” “Does God really have everything under control?” Questions and doubts can be unsettling if they are left unsaid. We begin to think we are alone in our doubt, and often our doubts only grow until they paralyze our faith. But when we learn to admit our doubts openly, we learn that we are not the only ones—that everyone deals with questions. And when we learn to live with doubt, doubt can be a tool that strengthens our faith.

Session One Parent Cue: Do you ever have doubts about God? If so, what are they? What do you do with them—vocalize them or keep them to yourself?

Message Two (November 9, 2011)

It’s one thing to recognize that doubt can strengthen faith—but HOW do you get there? How do you handle a doubt that you just can’t seem to move past? One way is to look back. When you look back, you draw on the things you do know to help you live through the things you don’t know or can’t understand. When you remember the things that God has shown you, you remind yourself of a bigger picture that can help you deal with the close-up situation at hand. The ways you have learned about or experienced God in your past are still true in the present, and can be used to pave the way to belief now—in spite of and in the midst of doubt.

Session Two Parent Cue: What are some things that God has taught you in the past about Himself? How can those things specifically help you with the doubts you now have?

Stand Alone (November 16, 2011)

We have a guest speaker coming in to speak to all.access. Pastor Don Champion our churches associate pastor and former youth pastor is going to bring it on this Wednesday. He has helped me in so many ways over the last year as I have been building relationships with students, parents, and leaders. Pastor Don still believes in the youth of Freedom Christian and prays for us often. We are going to really be blessed in having him step in for this one night.

Extra Info:

Make sure to stop by the parent blog after Wednesday nights as we have been posting videos with some insight to the service and also the announcements. The all.access facebook fan page will always have a link to the blog.

October 26th 2011

2011-10-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

October 19th 2011

2011-10-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

IMAGINING THE END

2011-10-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

IMAGINING THE END
Focus your energy and effort on the issues that will make a lasting impact.

The Family Drift
By Tim Walker

My wife is the kind of person who always asks big questions—usually at times that blindside me and knock me unconscious. For example, the other day, she asked me, “What’s important for us as a family?”

Not, “What do you want for dinner?” or “Do we have money to buy the boys some shoes?” (It seems like we’re always buying shoes.)

Nope, it was “What’s important for us as a family?”

Now my first reaction was, “What? Are you kidding me?” I mean, I’m an analytical person. I think a lot—sometimes too much. But I have so much stuff I’m already thinking about that I don’t have time for a question like this. It just requires too much effort. In fact, it makes my head hurt a little bit.

But there was something about her question that wasn’t so easy to dismiss. I have a son in middle school, two more in elementary. I’m realizing every day just how quickly time is passing and I’m also realizing that there are some things I want to make sure my boys learn and know before I start losing my audience with them.

I know I have a few years before the oldest moves out, but the reality is that someday he will and it will come much faster than I think. Someday he’ll walk into adulthood. And it’s important for me to prioritize the knowledge and experiences he needs in order to move forward confidently.

That may or may not happen if we keep moving in the direction we currently are. Our schedule is crazy. Our time at home is disjointed with everyone doing his or her own thing. And the reality is that without intentionality, our family will always drift along. Our tendency will always be to drift towards disconnection and randomness. My kids are not always going to just instinctively learn things from me. Sometimes it requires me putting time and energy into helping them learn those things—whether it’s how to read the Bible, make a budget, how to do laundry or how to change a tire. Sometimes it means that I let them face some consequences that I want to save them from.

For example, we were a little reluctant on the whole cell phone thing for my middle schooler. He doesn’t really talk on the phone very much, and he really only needs a phone occasionally. So we bought him one of those pay as you go phones. He has to pay to add minutes or text time to his phone. And the phone company requires that he adds to that balance every couple of months.

One weekend, he was on a retreat with our youth group. I needed to get in touch with him so I sent him a number of text messages. We talked back and forth, and while I was talking with him, I realized that I was using up his precious minutes.

My first instinct was to be generous and maybe swoop in and buy him some more minutes. But then I caught myself. I knew that if I did that, he would expect anytime I talked with him to be reimbursed. And that was not a precedent I wanted to set. So despite my “dad saves the day” intentions, I decided to just let it go and not say a thing. I would have loved to show him generosity; he’s a great kid. But I also knew that part of what makes him great and will continue to make him great is his sense of responsibility.

So what’s most important to your family? Think about it. Take a week and marinate on that. What do you want your child to walk into adulthood with? Beyond a diploma or a scholarship, what does he or she need to know to get to where he or she needs to grow? The reality is that unless it’s on your “to do” list, it won’t happen—and even then, you are going to have to work at making it happen. I know, it shouldn’t be that way, but it is. So how are the decisions, experiences and wisdom you are giving your child preparing him or her for the future?

Imagine the end. You’ll always be a parent. You’ll always be a part of your child’s life. But there will come a time when your “parenting” will end, when he or she will be making their own choices without your guidance or input. What does your child need when they get there? What are the important things you made sure they knew or experienced along the way to arrive at that point?

It may mean that you sacrifice some time on your part. It may mean that you make your child do something that he or she complains about the whole time. But when you are intentional about imagining the end, a few years from now, you’ll feel like you’ve done what you need to do to prepare your child for adulthood. It doesn’t mean you were perfect at it, but it does mean that instead of drifting, you steered your child in the right direction.

October 12th 2011

2011-10-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

October 5th 2011

2011-10-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

September 28th 2011

2011-09-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

September 21st, 2011

2011-09-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

September 14, 2011

2011-09-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

September 7, 2011

2011-09-07T18:14:00.001-07:00

August 31st, 2011

2011-08-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

August 24, 2011

2011-08-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

August 17th 2011

2011-08-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

August 10, 2011

2011-08-10T20:24:00.000-07:00