The Alternate Route

Trust the Process.  It’s a phrase you hear that applies to a number of situations.  It is also an apt description of the latest blog post from my daughter.

She is a senior in college and graduation is not far away.  In her post she shares about the struggle of just getting the grade in the class versus learning the content to be prepared for the job market and life.

She writes this near the beginning of the post:

I go to my first week of classes and listen to my professors say what I need to do to succeed in their courses.  They go over the syllabus and they talk about these things called the “course objectives.”  I almost always skip over this portion of the conversation and of this part of the syllabus, heading straight for the grading criteria, but in one of my classes a few weeks ago I really listened.  The course objectives aren’t what we are going to be doing in the class or what it takes to get an “A” but instead they are written to be a list concepts, skills, and applications that we will learn in the class.  Ohhhhhhh okay, learning.  That’s that old thing that they used to say school was all about.

Read the rest of her post and how she applies this idea to our walk with God.  Are we on this journey just to get the grade or are we trusting the process that will grow and shape us into the person God created us to be?

Read the whole post here:  The alternate route

Reason #199 Why We Love Small Groups

A few of our 2017 grads. Photo credit to one of our moms for snapping and sharing the pic.

Earlier in May we honored the class of 2017. It’s an annual event we do in our services where we bring our high school seniors on stage and recognize them for graduating. While it’s a regular thing we do (along with churches all across the country), each year is as unique as the members of each graduating class.

For the past few years we have asked our grads to fill out a brief questionnaire so we can make the recognition a bit more personal. Not all of our congregation knows every graduate by name so it’s an opportunity to highlight what our grads have achieved and what they have planned.

The last question for them to respond to was this: What is Your Best School Memory?

A couple of their answers show just why we love small groups.

I anticipated that our grads might point to homecoming or prom or an athletic or academic accomplishment. Some did. In fact, one of our grads was Homecoming Queen this year. Two of our grads finished #3 and #4 in their graduating class. Others enjoyed some athletic success.

But what two of our grads put down as their best memory had to do with their experience in small groups.

Here are the grads own words:

“I loved being kidnapped . . . by my small group leaders. It was always fun being surprised and spending the day with my small group.”

“My favorite memory is having our annual small group Christmas party/sleepover.”

Just another reason why we love small groups.

To the small group leaders out there: You are making an impact. You have influence. Sometimes we just have to wait until they graduate (or later) to see it or hear it.

To the small group leaders out there: Thank You!

Honoring our Grads 2015

Each year near the end of May, we take a few minutes at the start of our worship service to recognize our high school graduates. For the past few years I have put together a brief video of our high school seniors. It’s been a good way to get their faces in front of the congregations since many in our church family don’t know all the graduates personally (and another way for mom and dad to use those senior pictures!). I created the video on Animoto and love how easy it is to put together.

Congratulations to the class of 2015!

Please Go Vote For Austin to Win Scholarship

High School graduation is just around the corner and seniors have been filling out scholarship applications left and right. My wife has searched all over for available scholarships and Austin, who graduates in May, has filled out a bunch.

Here’s a chance for you to help!

Austin is entered in the Kids Moving Mountains Scholarship. Four students will receive a $5,000 scholarship and one will receive $10,000.

Here’s how you can help: Click here to go to the Kids Moving Mountains site where you will see Austin’s picture. Take about 90 seconds to register and then vote! You can vote once a day until April 12th.

Thanks for taking the time to vote . . . now go do it!