Filed under: Weekend Recaps
Weekend Teaching Series: See The Impossible!
Sermon Title: Give it Up!
Sermon in a Sentence: If you’re going to see the impossible, you’re going to have to give it up!.
Key Verse: John 6
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 5 out of 10. It was a little challenging communicating clearly that the move and campaign that River City is in the midst of is something that directly impacts them, also.
Attendance: down 6% from last weekend, up 20% from same weekend last year. Year to date we have grown 17% over last year… PRAISE GOD!!
Service Length: 50 minutes
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Music Playlist: Unashamed, Let the Praises Ring, My Glorious
Element of Fun, Positive Enviornment: We had upbeat music playing as they came in, and the ping pong table set up and open for action.
Favorite Moment: Telling the story of the young man with his lunch and comparing it to a never ending lunchable. We had WAY too much fun with that analogy!
Filed under: Weekend Recaps
Weekend Teaching Series: One Minute Bible (all of 2009)
Sermon Title: Step it Up (A Call to Holiness)
Sermon in a Sentence: Be because the One who has called you is holy.
Key Verse: 1 Peter 1:13-18, MSG
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 7 out of 10. ADD was king of the day, as it usually is when Spring Break sets in. Couple that with a challenge to lay down things that part of our flesh enjoys for the sake of holiness, and you have yourself a pretty hard sell. The small group times went really well, so I think they at least heard them. Teens just struggle with the challenge to be so different from the lost world they live in.
Attendance: Because of Spring Break travels, we were down 21% from last weekend, but still up 14% from the same weekend last year.
Service Length: 50 minutes
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Favorite Moment: We talked alot about shoes as an illustration to tie it all together… appropriate shoes, muddy shoes, expensive shoes… lot’s of laughs. It seemed to make sense to the kids, too, so that’s a plus!
Filed under: Weekend Recaps
Weekend Teaching Series: One Minute Bible (all of 2009)
Sermon Title: What’s in a Name
Sermon in a Sentence: God’s is a name you can trust.
Key Verse: Psalm 91; Romans 10:13
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 4 out of 10. The kids were receptive and engaged. We looked at the name of God and how there is power, peace, strength, and hope available to us if we will just call on his name.
Attendance: down 10% from last weekend, up 25% from same weekend last year. Year to date we have grown 20% over last year… PRAISE GOD!!
Service Length: 50 minutes
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Music Playlist: Song of Hope, True Love, Alive in This Moment, Everything
Favorite Moment: We had a super cool response time at the end. It was powerful!
Filed under: Weekend Recaps
Weekend Teaching Series: One Minute Bible (all of 2009)
Sermon Title: Guard Your Heart
Sermon in a Sentence: God Deserves your Best.
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 2:22
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 5 out of 10. We all know it’s true, but actually stepping up to attack the little things in our lives in can be a tough sell. Doing the hard work will take us from complacent to radical, so it’s worth it!!
Attendance: down 5% from last weekend, up 7% from same weekend last year. Year to date we have grown 15% over last year… PRAISE GOD!!
Service Length: 50 minutes
Understandable Message: Why settle for hot dog when you can have steak? We talked about the difference between and all beef hot dog and a pure beef steak and how it’s the little impurities that make the difference. Our spiritual lives are the same way. We are called to lay down our lives as living sacrifices, so what are we offering to Him? Are we giving Him hot dog when He deserves steak? Strive for Holiness!!
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We did an upfront demonstration involving hot dogs, steak, and all the appropriate oohs, aaahhs, and drooling that should accompany a really nice, well cooked piece of meat. For guys, very primal… for girls, a glimpse into what makes me tick!
Music Playlist: Song of Hope, Blessed Be, All Who Are Thirsty, Glory in the Highest
Favorite Moment: Worship and the steak moment. What can I say, I love steak!
Next up: Looking at the Life of Moses
Filed under: Weekend Recaps
Weekend Teaching Series: One Minute Bible (all of 2009)
Sermon Title: Wounded
Sermon in a Sentence: God can handle your pain… so bring it to Him.
Key Verse: John 16:33; James 1:2-3; Revelation 21:4
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 7 out of 10. Pain is universal, and we all deal with it. This truth was tough on some kids who are in the midst of painful times in their lives. The message was one of hope, but still, it seemed some kids were reminded of just how real pain is.
Attendance: down 10% from last weekend, up 14% from same weekend last year
Service Length: 50 minutes
Understandable Message: Pain is everywhere. While that’s unfortunate, there is a silver lining. Pain produces character and transforms our faith from complacent to RADICAL! God can handle your pain, but you have to take it to Him and be willing to release it to him to truly feel His healing.
Our challenge this week was to bring God your pain. Sort through your life and find an area where you are carrying around some hurt, and take that to God.
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. Brittany Brandner shared a testimony in high school that REALLY connected with the students. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Element of Fun/Positive Environment: Our student ministry news this week featured David and I taking on a HUGE disgusting pile of Nachos. It was pretty intense, but the kids laughed.
Music Playlist: Revelation Song, Make a Joyful Noise / I Will Not Be Silent, Jesus Paid it All
Favorite Moment: Brit’s testimony in high school. It really connected with the students and set up the theme / point well. It was emotional and powerful. There is something special when students connect to other students. WOW!!
Next up: Developing a Pure Heart ( 2 Timothy 2:22)
Filed under: Events
We have an AWESOME opportunity to take in a Spurs game and then enjoy a concert from an AMAZING worship band. We have 60 tickets, so see Aaron for more details. $25… what a steal!
Filed under: Events
This Wednesday Night we are taking part in a city wide event called the Silver Ring Thing. This is an evening of worship and teaching on purity and how to have a Christian response to a subject the world tries to trivialize. There are sessions for students and parents, so everyone is welcom. The event takes place THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM 7 – 930p AT COMMUNITY BIBLE CHURCH on 1604. We will meet in the lobby so we can try to sit together for the event. WE WILL NOT MEET AT RIVER CITY FIRST!! This is a free event and will be an evening you will remember forever. I look forward to seeing you there!!
Filed under: Weekend Recaps
Weekend Teaching Series: One Minute Bible (all of 2009)
Sermon Title: Radical Faith
Sermon in a Sentence: Faith Let’s God Get in the Game
Key Verse:Genesis 22:1-18 and Hebrews 11; Abraham was declared righteous because of his radical faith
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 4 out of 10. The kids seemed to track… Faith is exciting
Attendance: up 20% from last weekend, up 45% from same weekend last year
Service Length: 50 minutes
Understandable Message: Faith means trusting someone else to take care of me even when I don’t have all of the answers. We have to be willing to give up control, and we challenged students not let the times when other people have disappointed them keep them from trusting God.
Our wrap up focused on how faith has been the catalyst for change throughout history. It wasn’t human strength or knowledge, it was faith that God could do what He promised to do. We told students that God has a plan for them even today, and it is time to take that first faith step, no matter how small.
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Element of Fun/Positive Environment: In junior high we played an upfront game called, “And the Award Goes to…” and in both services we started out with a faith illustration that involved blindfolded eating. THe kids laughed and got involved, and I assure you that no one ate anything disgusting! At least not this week.
Music Playlist: In The Secret, Center, All, All I Have
Favorite Moment: The faith eating was awesome, especially in junior high. Really funny. If you asked the students, especiall Brittany Brandner, they would tell you it was when I screamed like a sissy girl at a very unexpected moment to bring home a point.
Next up: Dealing with Pain
Weekend Teaching Series: One Minute Bible (all of 2009)
Sermon Title: How To Keep From Drowning
Sermon in a Sentence: Even when it feels like I am sinking, He will never let me drown!
Key Verse: Genesis 6:8-9; Noah found favor in God’s eyes because of a lifestyle of consistent faith.
Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 6 out of 10. At times it can be tough to take a super familiar old bible story and make it relevant for today and keep students engaged.
Attendance: up 7% from last weekend, up 3% from same weekend last year
Service Length: 50 minutes
Understandable Message: This week we focused on God’s desire to see us try with all we’ve got to follow hard after Him. He understands that we may slip and stumble, and he forgives us. Kind of like when a parent is teaching a child how to walk… we all celebrate in the attempt.
Our wrap up focused on God’s desire to give us a fresh start, to forget our past, to make us new. We focused on 2 Corinthians 5:17 and asked students if they were ready to forgive themselves and give themselves a fresh start.
Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran the announcements, lead the worship team, ran sound, ran the slides, and greeted. As always, our amazing group of adult volunteers lead small groups at the end of the discussion time.
Element of Fun/Positive Environment: In junior high we played an upfront game called, “That Can’t Be True” and in high school we started out with a “game” of I’m going on a trip and I can’t leave without… we also had planned for a funny video announcements, but there was technical difficulty and so we decided to punt this element. What a drag!
Music Playlist: Trading My Sorrows, How Great is Your Love, The Answer,
How Great is our God (with a cool testimony element at the start lead by Lauren Azzaro)
Favorite Moment: The whole weekend was pretty good, but my favorite moment was hearing the students, especially in junior high, shout out what makes them fall in love with Christ. I also thought the small group time went really well.
Next up: So, This is Faith? WOW!
