Keepin’ Up with All Things Radiate
Over the course of a Sunday and throughout the week, I get a chance to talk to many of you from our SRBC fam. One of the questions I get asked nearly every week is, “How are things going with the youth?” I love that question as it points to a congregation who clearly cares about our youth and volunteers, from people who know what huge investments we have made over the years to launch the next generation. Hopefully, this article will help paint a picture of the continued investments we are making among the teens in our church and communities.
Small groups met this past Wednesday night. We had 17 different M.S. & H.S. groups meet either in the church or at homes with our adult leaders. We do a connecting activity, pray together, enjoy some snacks provided by our leaders, and finish our group time with a Bible study and discussion. Fun fact: we had one of our H.S. guys’ small group take an interest in the Book of Revelation and Pastor Terry sat in to help out with a crash course.
Many continue to ask and pray for our “Lunch with a Purpose” Bible Study on Fridays at South Hardin Middle School. What an awesome opportunity it has been over the last month. I lead three different lunch periods in a room above the cafeteria with 8th graders, 6th graders, and finally 7th graders. We average around 40-50 total students. We have many of our “Radiate” kids attend and their friends. I have also had the chance to meet and invest in around 15 students who I’ve never met before. It’s not uncommon to see at least 1-2 new faces each week. For our Bible study, we look at a section of James each week and are currently finishing up James 3!
The Heart of God is a 6-week Pathway Class that our H.S. students have been going through. We have been camping out in Exodus 34 and Ephesians 2 and looking at who God is: holy, merciful, gracious, loving, just, and faithful. A.W. Tozer, a pastor and author in the mid-twentieth century, said, “What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What a great thought-provoking quote each of us should consider. We don’t have a huge class that attends, so there’s always room for more!
Our Wednesday night Radiate teachings have been focusing on Life Lessons from Joseph. We have been emphasizing our one charge to be ambassadors for Jesus in the world we live in. Through the story so far, we’ve delved into Joseph’s dreams (that God gave him) and how he initially messed those up with pride and selfishness. We also delved into the brokenness we sometimes experience in life and how God can use those experiences for His glory and our good. We played a fun, new game called Loot & Lunacy that had everyone choosing good (or bad) options throughout the Loft, which was a lot of fun. Both our M.S. & H.S. worship teams led us in worship two weeks ago and did a great job.
Upcoming Happenings!
High School One-Day Ski Trip: We’re heading to the slopes in Dubuque once again for a day of connecting (and hopefully not hurting ourselves!) on Sunday, February 16th. Registration is now available on our February calendars.
New Wednesday Night Teaching Series: After we finish up our Joseph series in mid-February, we’re going to start a new series called “How to Raise Your Parents.” Don’t worry, the title sounds more dramatic than it really is. J We’ll be looking at several Bible passages that talk about how students can raise the bar in their families through their actions, attitudes, and decisions.
New H.S. Pathway Endeavor
When talking to H.S. students recently, I asked them if they thought there was a need for them to have a foundational overview of the Bible. They said yes, which leads to the next long-term class we will be offering H.S. students: The Bible from 30,000 Feet. Each week, we’ll look at the major stories and an overview of each book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. We will have a book for each participating student, and we hope that they can glean much from the class! If you have or know of a H.S. student that might benefit from this class, please have them join us in the basement Foundations Classroom each Sunday at 9:30 AM.
Blessings,
Bryce
