Vitals - December 20th

The Spark (Jr. High) - December 20th
Message - "When Love Comes To Town - All About the Gifts" by Katie
Big Idea: "God's presence is the most important gift we will ever get."
Key Verses: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
Worship led by The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 123
1st Service: 55 (43 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 68 (54 students, 14 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - December 20th
Message - "When Love Comes To Town - All About the Gifts" by Katie
Big Idea: "God's presence is the most important gift we will ever get."
Key Verses: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
Worship led by The 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 73 (58 students, 15 leaders)

Vitals - December 13th

The Spark (Jr. High) - December 13th
Message - "When Love Comes To Town - A Baby Changes Everything" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"Being used by God isn't always comfortable or convenient, but it is always because of His love."
Key Verses: Luke 1:1-8
Worship led by: Elizabeth Hendricks and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 119
1st Service: 56 (46 students, 10 leaders)
2nd Service: 63 (51 students, 12 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - December 13th
Message - "When Love Comes To Town - A Baby Changes Everything" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"Being used by God isn't always comfortable or convenient, but it is always because of His love."
Key Verses: Luke 1:1-8
Worship led by: Elizabeth Hendricks and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 66 (52 students, 14 leaders)

Vitals - December 6th

The Spark (Jr. High) - December 6th
Message - "When Love Comes To Town - Guest List" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"God used those people least expected to provide what people needed the most."
Key Verses: Matthew 1:1-7, 16
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 117
1st Service: 50 (40 students, 10 leaders)
2nd Service: 67 (54 students, 13 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - December 6th
Message - "When Love Comes To Town - Guest List" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"God used those people least expected to provide what people needed the most."
Key Verses: Matthew 1:1-7, 16
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 72 (58 students, 14 leaders)

Student Ministry Baptism Service!

We are having a Student Ministry Baptism service on Wednesday, December 16th, from 7:00-8:30p in the Student Zone. This is an occasion for the entire family to celebrate the life change that Jesus has done in the lives of our students! It will be a great night of celebration with worship, testimonies and baptisms. If your student would like to be baptized, please email us at students@pointofgrace.com, and we hope to see you all there to celebrate what God has done in our ministry! Hope to see you next Wednesday night, December 16th!

Parents...

Hey Parents...
If you or your students have any questions regarding the announcement made this weekend at The Spark or 4ORTY 2WO, please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to answer any and all questions that you have and listen to your thoughts. Feel free to call us at 515.987.9595 or email us at students@pointofgrace.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for your support and involvement in the Student Ministry of Point of Grace Church.

We appreciate your thoughts!

Much Love,
Kurt and Katie

NEW SERIES!

Our new Christmas Series, called "When Love Comes To Town" begins on Sunday, December, 6th and we will be talking about the Christmas story for three weeks!  We are excited to tell the story of Jesus' birth and focus the student's attention on the real meaning of Christmas!  We hope they will join us!

Vitals - November 29th

The Spark (Jr. High) - November 29th
Message - "How Great Is Our God" by Loiue Giglio (via video)
Attendance:
Total: 111
1st Service: 46 (40 students, 6 leaders)
2nd Service: 65 (57 students, 8 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) -November 29th
Message - "How Great Is Our God" by Loiue Giglio (via video)
Attendance: 66 (59 students, 7 leaders)

Vitals - November 22nd

The Spark (Jr. High) - November 22nd
Message - "Listen and Learn - part.2" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"We only discover the wise choice only when we pursue wise council."
Key Verses: Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 15:31-33, James 1:19
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 134
1st Service: 53 (41 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 74 (59 students, 15 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - November 22nd
Message - "Listen and Learn - part.2" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"We only discover the wise choice only when we pursue wise council."
Key Verses: Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 15:31-33, James 1:19
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 62 (48 students, 14 leaders)

Vitals - November 15th

The Spark (Jr. High) - November 15th
Message - "Listen and Learn - part.1" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"Who and what you listen to will determine what you do."
Key Verses: Matthew Jeremiah 17:9-10, Proverbs 12:15
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 134
1st Service: 62 (48 students, 14 leaders)
2nd Service: 72 (58 students, 14 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - November 15th
Message - "Listen and Learn - part.1" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"Who and what you listen to will determine what you do."
Key Verses: Matthew Jeremiah 17:9-10, Proverbs 12:15
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 68 (58 students, 10 leaders)

Vitals - November 1st

The Spark (Jr. High) - November 1st
Message - "EVERYONE - Everyone Is Included" by Katie
Big Idea:
"Jesus includes everyone in His mission, to reach everyone."
Key Verses: Matthew 28:16-20
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 126
1st Service: 58 (44 students, 14 leaders)
2nd Service: 68 (53 students, 15 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - November 1st
Message - "EVERYONE - Everyone Is Included" by Katie
Big Idea:
"Jesus includes everyone in His mission, to reach everyone."
Key Verses: Matthew 28:16-20
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 75 (61 students, 14 leaders)

Vitals - October 25th

The Spark (Jr. High) - October 25th
Message - "EVERYONE - Everyone Is Important" by Brandon Pruitt
Big Idea:
"Jesus sees everyone as important, even those who others reject."
Key Verses: Matthew 19:13-15
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 108
1st Service: 46 (34 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 62 (49 students, 13 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - October 25th
Message - "EVERYONE - Everyone Is Important" by Dawn Frederiksen
Big Idea:
"Jesus sees everyone as important, even those who others reject."
Key Verses: Matthew 19:13-15
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 77 (65 students, 12 leaders)

Only 2 Weeks Until Captivate!

CAPTIVATE.
The theme for this year's Student Fall Retreat is "Captivate." During this incredible weekend, students will be drawn into the greatest story ever told: The epic story of God's relentless love for His people. This story has the power to capture our hearts and transform our lives forever, sending us on an adventure to change the world as God changes our hearts and lives.

Sunday, November 1st, is the last weekend to sign up for CAPTIVATE - our Fall Getaway. This is going to be one of the greatest weekends of the year and your student(s) will not want to miss out on this!! If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any of the Student Ministry Staff during a weekend service or you can call us at the church office at 515.987.9595.

The price for CAPTIVATE is: 6th Graders = $119, 7th – 12th Graders = $139

Your money is due in full when you sign up for CAPTIVATE and unfortunately, because we have to reserve space and rent equipment, there can be NO refunds of any kind after you sign up for CAPTIVATE. Thank you for understanding…

Vitals - October 18th

The Spark (Jr. High) - October 18th
Message - "EVERYONE - Everyone Is Invited" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"Jesus invites everyone to experience His forgiveness."
Key Verses: Matthew 9:9-13
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 118
1st Service: 50 (38 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 68 (53 students, 15 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - October 18th
Message - "EVERYONE - Everyone Is Invited" by Kurt
Big Idea:
"Jesus invites everyone to experience His forgiveness."
Key Verses: Matthew 9:9-13
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 75 (61 students, 14 leaders)

Vitals - October 11th

The Spark (Jr. High) - October 11th
Message - "Go Green - Marked By A Changed Life" by Katie
Big Idea:
"Baptism is an outward action taken to show that your life has been changed by God."
Key Verses: Romans 6:1-5
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 135
1st Service: 54 (42 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 81 (67 students, 14 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - October 11th
Message - "Go Green - Marked By A Changed Life" by Katie
Big Idea:
"Baptism is an outward action taken to show that your life has been changed by God."
Key Verses: Romans 6:1-5
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 68 (55 students, 13 leaders)

Vitals - October 4th

The Spark (Jr. High) - October 4th
Message - "Go Green - Serving Others" by Kurt
Big Idea:
If we do not give away what we have, it spoils.

Key Verses: James 1:27-2:2-6, 8
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 135
1st Service: 62 (41 students, 11 leaders)
2nd Service: 73 (57 students, 16 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - October 4th
Message - "Go Green - Serving Others" by Kurt
Big Idea:
If we do not give away what we have, it spoils.

Key Verses: James 1:27-2:2-6, 8

Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 75 (62 students, 13 leaders)

Vitals - September 27th

The Spark (Jr. High) - September 27th
Message - "Go Green - Engage with God" by Katie
Big Idea:
An intimate relationship with God only happens when we engage with His word.

Key Verses: John 1:1-3, 15:5-10
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 163
1st Service: 61 (49 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 89 (62 students, 17 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - September 27th
Message - "Go Green - Engage with God" by Katie
Big Idea:
An intimate relationship with God only happens when we engage with His word.

Key Verses: John 1:1-3, 15:5-10

Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 86 (68 students, 15 leaders)

Last Weekend Before Discount Deadline for Captivate...

CAPTIVATE.
The theme for this year's Student Fall Retreat is "Captivate." During this incredible weekend, students will be drawn into the greatest story ever told: The epic story of God's relentless love for His people. This story has the power to capture our hearts and transform our lives forever, sending us on an adventure to change the world as God changes our hearts and lives.

This Weekend (Sept. 27th) is the last weekend to sign up for CAPTIVATE - our Fall Getaway, and still receive the discount. This is going to be one of the greatest weekends of the year and your student(s) will not want to miss out on this (and you'd probably like to save some money)!! To receive the discount, the permission slip must be filled out and signed, and the check must be received BEFORE October 1st. Registrations can also be mailed in, and all registrations postmarked by September 30th will be given the discount. Those received or postmarked October 1st or after, will be charged the increased price. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any of the Student Ministry Staff during a weekend service or you can call us at the church office at 515.987.9595. Thanks for understanding.

Paid before October 1st, 6th Graders = $99 7th – 12th Graders = $119
Paid on or before November 1st, 6th Graders = $119
7th – 12th Graders = $139

Your money is due in full when you sign up for CAPTIVATE and unfortunately, because we have to reserve space and rent equipment, there can be NO refunds of any kind after you sign up for CAPTIVATE. Thank you for understanding…

Vitals - Sept. 20th

The Spark (Jr. High) - September 20th
Message - "Go Green - Who Are You Running With?" by Kurt
Big Idea:
Your friends determine the direction and quality of your life.

Key Verses: Proverbs 12:2-3
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 163
1st Service: 67 (56 students, 12 leaders)
2nd Service: 96 (81 students, 15 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - September 20th
Message - "Go Green - Who Are You Running With?" by Kurt
Big Idea:
Your friends determine the direction and quality of your life.

Key Verses: Proverbs 12:2-3

Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 86 (74 students, 12 leaders)

CAPTIVATE. - Nov. 6th-8th

CAPTIVATE.
The theme for this year's Student Fall Retreat is "Captivate." During this incredible weekend, students will be drawn into the greatest story ever told: The epic story of God's relentless love for His people. This story has the power to capture our hearts and transform our lives forever, sending us on an adventure to change the world as God changes our hearts and lives.

When is it…
Captivate is November 6th – 8th, 2009

Where is it…
Hidden Acres Christian Conference Center in Dayton. Tucked away in the Hills about an hour west of Des Moines, the stage will be set for a true weekend getaway with God and friends. But don’t let the rustic scenery fool you - this is not your average wilderness weekend! Stocked with an indoor pool, gym, lake, paintball course, high ropes, horseback riding trails and a coffee shop, it's gonna be the biggest and best weekend of the year!

What do I need to bring…
A sleeping bag, close-toed shoes, toiletries, pants, Bible, pen, journal, clothes that can get dirty/ruined, spending money and your PLAID clothes for Super Spirit Saturday!

What should I not bring…
Cell phones, cigarettes, fireworks, iPods or other portable electronic
devices, offensive clothing or bad attitudes.

When and where do I need to be…
Register at Point of Grace at 3:00pm on Friday, November 6th Convoy leaves for CAPTIVATE around 3:30pm. Return to Point of Grace around 5:00pm on Sunday, November 8th.

What if I have questions…
Feel free to call the Student Ministry office at 987.9595, or you can ask questions by email at students@pointofgrace.com.

How much is it? When is my money due…
Paid before October 1st, 6th Graders = $99 7th – 12th Graders = $119
Paid on or before November 1st, 6th Graders = $119
7th – 12th Graders = $139

Your money is due in full when you sign up for CAPTIVATE and unfortunately, because we have to reserve space and rent equipment, there can be NO refunds of any kind after you sign up for CAPTIVATE. Thank you for understanding…

Vitals - September 13th

The Spark (Jr. High) - September 13th
Message - "Go Green - A Transformed Kind Of Life..." by Katie
Big Idea:
The point of following Jesus is for our lives to be changed.

Key Verses: Romans 12:2, Matthew 6:25-26, 30-33
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 139
1st Service: 62 (48 students, 13 leaders)
2nd Service: 91 (76 students, 15 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - September 13th
Message - "Go Green - A Transformed Kind Of Life..." by Katie
Big Idea:
The point of following Jesus is for our lives to be changed.

Key Verses: Romans 12:2, Matthew 6:25-26, 30-33

Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 73 (61 students, 12 leaders)

Vitals - August 30th

The Spark (Jr. High) - August 30th
Message - "ELEMENTAL - elevate..." by Kurt
Key Points:
EVERYONE worships SOMETHING. Worship is a LIFESTYLE.
Worship is LOVING GOD, even when NOBODY ELSE is.

Key Verses: Romans 12:1-3
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 143
1st Service: 59 (48 students, 11 leaders)
2nd Service: 95 (81 students, 14 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - August 30th
Message - "ELEMENTAL - elevate..." by Kurt
Discussion Questions:
"What do you think 'worship' means?"
"Do you think that you are a different person at church from who you are at home, at school or at work?"
Key Points:
EVERYONE worships SOMETHING. Worship is a LIFESTYLE.
Worship is LOVING GOD, even when NOBODY ELSE is.

Key Verses: Romans 12:1-3

Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 75 (65 students, 10 leaders)

Vitals - August 23rd

The Spark (Jr. High) - August 23rd
Message - "ELEMENTAL - access..." by Katie
Key Points:
God CREATED ME to be part of His mission: MAKING THE WORLS NEW.

As soon as Jesus realized His INFLUENCE, He SERVED His friends.

Serving the needs of our PHYSICAL WORLD, can change SPIRITUAL REALITIES.
Key Verses: John 13:3-11
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 146
1st Service: 68 (58 students, 10 leaders)
2nd Service: 88 (77 students, 11 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - August 23rd
Message - "ELEMENTAL - access..." by Katie
Discussion Questions:

"When was the last time that you did something nice or someone else? How did you feel afterwards?"

"What is your typical response when you realize that you are the most popular or influential person in a group?"

Key Points:

God CREATED ME to be part of His mission: MAKING THE WORLS NEW.

As soon as Jesus realized His INFLUENCE, He SERVED His friends.

Serving the needs of our PHYSICAL WORLD, can change SPIRITUAL REALITIES.
Key Verses: John 13:3-11

Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 78 (68 students, 10 leaders)

Casey Darnell's "Can You See Me?" music video that we showed this past Sunday...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy5WxNtn3rE

Life Groups Are Starting Soon!

This past weekend, August 16th, your student will be able to sign up to be in a Life Group. This is a very important step in their spiritual journey!

Our goal is to create environments where students begin to "See and God sees, and Love as God loves." We do this through helping students build purposeful relationships, experience God for themselves and engage in opportunities to be actively involved in the cause of Christ by serving others. Each week in their Middle School or High School environments students will experience fun games, great food, rocking worship, a challenging talk, and most importantly a meaningful connection in a Life Group with other students their age and caring adult leaders.

Life Group is the environment where students can connect with other peers and a caring adult in our to process what God is doing in their lives and what they are learning. This is where their faith becomes their own and they can ask questions and build intimate relationships with others. Our program is changing so that Life Groups will no longer be on Wednesday evenings, but will now be an integrated part of your student's Sunday experience. This is to ease the schedule of your family, as well as enable leaders to have more time to focus on the students in their group, hopefully creating an even better environment for life change!

To get the most out of this environment, in it more important than ever for your student to consistently attend the same service, every week. So, for example, if you typically come to the 9:00am service, your Jr. High student will be placed in a Life Group with student their same grade and gender within The Spark for that service. If one week they attend the 10:30am service, they will not be able to be in a Life Group, instead they will have to participate in the "On Deck" group. There is only one service time for 4ORTY 2WO.

With that in mind, we hope that over the next few days, you will discuss with your student the goal of Life Groups as discussed above, and express your desire for him or her to sign up for a group. They can sign up this weekend and following weekends at The Spark or 4ORTY 2WO, or you can sign them up at the Habit Shack in The Student Zone during any of our weekend services. We hope to have sign ups available online as well in the very near future. Look for more information regarding that on this website.

Looking forward to having your student involved in Life Groups this year!!

Vitals - August 16th

The Spark (Jr. High) - August 16th
Message - "ELEMENTAL - construct..." by Kurt
Key Points:
God is the one that makes things GROW. It's our job to CONSTRUCT healthy habits.
You cannot grow CLOSER TO GOD if you don't spend TIME WITH HIM.
Do you want God more than ANYTHING ELSE?
Key Verses: Matthew 13:18-23
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 145
1st Service: 73 (62 students, 11 leaders)
2nd Service: 83 (71 students, 12 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - August 16th
Message - "ELEMENTAL - construct..." by Kurt
Discussion Questions:
"What are most looking forward to about starting school? What are you not looking forward to?"
"Was there a time that you felt particularly close to God? If so, what do you think caused you to feel that way?"
Key Points:
God is the one that makes things GROW. It's our job to CONSTRUCT healthy habits.
You cannot grow CLOSER TO GOD if you don't spend TIME WITH HIM.
Do you want God more than ANYTHING ELSE?
Key Verses: Matthew 13:18-23
Worship led by: Alex Wolfe and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 76 (67 students, 9 leaders)

Life Groups Sign Ups Begin This Weekend!!

This coming weekend, August 16th, your student will be able to sign up to be in a Life Group. This is a very important step in their spiritual journey!

Our goal is to create environments where students begin to "See and God sees, and Love as God loves." We do this through helping students build purposeful relationships, experience God for themselves and engage in opportunities to be actively involved in the cause of Christ by serving others. Each week in their Middle School or High School environments students will experience fun games, great food, rocking worship, a challenging talk, and most importantly a meaningful connection in a Life Group with other students their age and caring adult leaders.

Life Group is the environment where students can connect with other peers and a caring adult in our to process what God is doing in their lives and what they are learning. This is where their faith becomes their own and they can ask questions and build intimate relationships with others. Our program is changing so that Life Groups will no longer be on Wednesday evenings, but will now be an integrated part of your student's Sunday experience. This is to ease the schedule of your family, as well as enable leaders to have more time to focus on the students in their group, hopefully creating an even better environment for life change!

To get the most out of this environment, in it more important than ever for your student to consistently attend the same service, every week. So, for example, if you typically come to the 9:00am service, your Jr. High student will be placed in a Life Group with student their same grade and gender within The Spark for that service. If one week they attend the 10:30am service, they will not be able to be in a Life Group, instead they will have to participate in the "On Deck" group. There is only one service time for 4ORTY 2WO.

With that in mind, we hope that over the next few days, you will discuss with your student the goal of Life Groups as discussed above, and express your desire for him or her to sign up for a group. They can sign up this weekend and following weekends at The Spark or 4ORTY 2WO, or you can sign them up at the Habit Shack in The Student Zone during any of our weekend services. We hope to have sign ups available online as well in the very near future. Look for more information regarding that on this website.

Looking forward to having your student involved in Life Groups this year!!

Vitals - August 9th

The Spark (Jr. High) - August 9th
Message - "ELEMENTAL - merge..." by Katie
Key Points:
God never intended us to follow Jesus ALONE.
The purpose of MERGING in community is LIFE CHANGE.
Our RELATIONSHIP with other people reflect my relationship with GOD.
Key Verses: Ephesians 4:21-24, John 15:12-13
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 107
1st Service: 44 (34 students, 10 leaders)
2nd Service: 73 (62 students, 11 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - August 9th
Message - "ELEMENTAL - merge..." by Katie
Discussion Questions:
"What is something that you have experienced that has changed how you live?"
"When was the last time that you experienced conflict with a friend? How do you handle it?"
Key Points:
God never intended us to follow Jesus ALONE.
The purpose of MERGING in community is LIFE CHANGE.
Our RELATIONSHIP with other people reflect my relationship with GOD.
Key Verses: Ephesians 4:21-24, John 15:12-13
Worship led by: Alex Wolfe and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 57 (49 students, 8 leaders)

Vitals - August 2nd

The Spark (Jr. High) - August 2nd
Message - "ELEMENTAL - enter" by Kurt
Key Points:
When you start to FOLLOW Jesus, you ENTER a new life.
People can argue with BELIEF. No one can argue with your EXPERIENCE.
Jesus has called ME to INVEST in my friends, and INVITE them to follow Him.
Key Verses: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Acts 4:18-20
Worship led by: Alex Wolfe and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 97
1st Service: 40 (31 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 67 (57 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - August 2nd
Message - "ELEMENTAL - enter" by Kurt
Discussion Questions:
"What was the last thing that happened to you that was so exciting that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about it?"
"Why do you think that people decide to start following Jesus?"
Key Points:
When you start to FOLLOW Jesus, you ENTER a new life.
People can argue with BELIEF. No one can argue with your EXPERIENCE.
Jesus has called ME to INVEST in my friends, and INVITE them to follow Him.
Key Verses: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Acts 4:18-20
Worship led by: Alex Wolfe and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 57 (49 students, 8 leaders)

Arrival Update!

Well it's 6am and we are officially back in the state of Iowa. We will be stopping for breakfast on our way, so it looks like we will be back at Point of Grace around 8:00am. We will unload the buses together and then dismiss your student(s) to you after everything is cleaned up. Again, we will be back a little earlier than expected so the staff would appreciate your promptness. Its been an awesome trip, so make sure that your student(s) are there tomorrow for The Spark or 4ORTY 2WO, to celebrate all that God did in our lives this week @ FL!P Camp! Once again, thanks for allowing us the opportunity to partner with you by allowing your student to come with us on this incedible trip! See you in a few hours!

What An Amazing Night!!

It has been a truely incedible day at FL!P Camp! We have had an amazing time worshiping with Kristian Stanfill and David Crowder! Its great to see the students giving their all to God and just thanking and praising Him for Who He is and what He's doing in their lives! We have slap enjoyed many of the exciting attractions that Branson has to offer, even though yesterday was dampreed by the rain... The students have really been responding the the Challanges that Francis Chan has been giving them! Challanges to find a reason to worship in every circumstance, to see God for who He is, a Holy, All-Powerful Creator, and to realize that adding God to your life doesn't cut it... We need to hand over control of our lives completley to God and hold nothing back! Tonight he challanded them to confess their sins to each other and stop being lukewarm, trying to play both on God's team and stay on the world's team. We had tons of students moved to make life-altering decisions to give God their lives, all of their lives, tonight! Keep praying for your students! God is moving big time and they are catching on to God's plans for their lives! And we are having a ton of fun! Thanks again for allowing your student to join us for this trip! They will never be the same!!

what an amazing Night!!

We Made It!

Hey Parents!
We made it to Branson safely this at 7:00 am. We are now having breakfast and then heading off to Table Rock Lake! Thanks again for you patience last night and for allowing us to have your student come with us for what is sure to be a lifechanging week! We're will be keeping you updated on what's happening on this website, so check back often! Thanks again!

It is hard to believe, but FLIP Summer Camp 2009 is only about a week away! We are so pumped to have your student(s) joining us for this amazing trip! It promises to be one of the best trips of the year and we are sure it will be life changing for you student as they experience the beauty of the Ozarks, community with their friends and leaders and experience God through worship and the teaching of his world by some of the best worship leaders and communicators in the country! We can't wait!!

Here are a few last minute details that we want you to be aware of as we approach the trip...

Registration is MANDATORY for both students and their parents before we leave for camp. Registration will be held at 9:00pm on Sunday night, July 19th in the Student Zone at Point of Grace. At registration, parents will be given a registration packet containing vital information for you while your student is away at camp, as well as sign the parental consent form. This is why is it important that at least one parent of each student is present at registration. In this packet will be their rooming list, as well as the cell phone numbers of the leaders on the trip so that you can contact them if you need to get a hold of your student while they are away. Also is the packet will be an itinerary for the week, as well as some outlines and prayer requests for you so that you can be praying for God to move in your student's life at camp this summer. We will be leaving for camp directly from Registration, so the students may come in their PJs if they want, because we will be on the bus overnight on the way to Branson.

We will leave Point of Grace around 10:30pm on Sunday night, July 19th and we will return to Point of Grace on Saturday morning, July 25th, around 9:00am.

Also to clarify some of the expectations for this trip, there are some things that are not allowed on this trip. Please do not have your student bring their cell phone, any prank supplies or any dangerous items, such as a pocket knives, fireworks or air-soft guns. THESE ITEMS WILL BE CONFISCATED AND MAY RESULT IN YOUR STUDENT BEING EXPELLED FROM CAMP. iPods, CD players, PSPs, and other personal media devices are allowed on this trip due to the long bus ride. However, they will be collected once we get to Branson, and will be returned the night before we leave so that they can re-charge them for the ride home. It would help them to put their name an a piece of tape and label their personal items. Also as a reminder, each student will need between $100-$150 in spending money for food and fun stuff while we are at camp. There will be about 10 meals (not counting snacks or late night pizza) that they will need to purchase for themselves.

While we are at camp, as well as the rest of the year, please reference our Parent "LIFELINE" website to get updates on what your students are learning, events descriptions as well as updated arrival times. Hopefully this is a helpful resource for you.

If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to email us at students@pointofgrace.com or give us a call at 515.987.9595 between 9:00am and 4:00pm Tuesday - Thursday, and we will do everything we can to help you out. Thanks again for trusting us with your student as we go to camp together! Its going to be a great trip and we pray that it will be an incredible experience for your student that draws them closer to God and His plan for their life!

Vitals - July 5th

The Spark (Jr. High) - July 5th
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is...Creative" by Katie
Discussion Question:
"How could God use your interests to impact the lives of others?"
Key Points:
Our INTERESTS are a bridge to connect God to the HEARTS of other people.
God created us to REFLECT His love to the world.
Key Verses: Luke 19:10, Psalm 119:73-77
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 90
1st Service: 38 (32 students, 6 leaders)
2nd Service: 58 (52 students, 6 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - July 5th
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is...Creative" by Katie
Discussion Question:
"How could God use your interests to impact the lives of others?"
"What is something that you love to do with other people?"
"When was the last time that you experienced God outside of 'church'?"
Key Points:
Our INTERESTS are a bridge to connect God to the HEARTS of other people.
God created us to REFLECT His love to the world.
Key Verses: Luke 19:10, Psalm 119:73-77
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 60 (54 students, 6 leaders)

Vitals - June 28th

The Spark (Jr. High) - June 28th
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is...Great" by Steven Furtick
Discussion Question:
"What would change in your life is you saw God more clearly?"
Key Points:
If God is GREAT, but not GOOD, we should all fear for our lives!
In light of the GLORY of God, how big is your PROBLEM?
God is GREAT (He's Capable), and He's GOOD (He's Loving).
Key Verses: Psalm 62:11-12a, Exodus 3:14, Lamentations 3:22-23
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 97
1st Service: 38 (29 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 68 (58 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - June 28th
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is...Great" by Steven Furtick
Discussion Question:
"What would change in your life is you saw God more clearly?"
"What was the last thing that you think God has done for you?"
"When was the last time that you felt that God let you down?"
Key Points:
If God is GREAT, but not GOOD, we should all fear for our lives!
In light of the GLORY of God, how big is your PROBLEM?
God is GREAT (He's Capable), and He's GOOD (He's Loving).
Key Verses: Psalm 62:11-12a, Exodus 3:14, Lamentations 3:22-23
Worship led by: Justin Willis and the 4ORTY 2WO Band
Attendance: 68 (60 students, 8 leaders)

Vitals - June 21st

The Spark (Jr. High) - June 21st
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is... Awesome" by Kurt
Discussion Question:
"What is an area of your life that you need God to take charge of?"
Key Points:
God has chosen to show how AWESOME He is through YOU.
When we only look at OURSELVES, we miss out on seeing GOD.
If we saw God's awesomeness more CLEARLY, we would live totally DIFFERENTLY.
Key Verses: Psalm 47:12, Exodus 33:15-20
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 73
1st Service: 27 (21 students, 6 leaders)
2nd Service: 62 (54 students, 8 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - June 21st
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is... Awesome" by Kurt
Discussion Question:
"What is an area of your life that you need God to take charge of?"
"What is something that you think is awesome?"
"What is an area that you usually look out for yourself first and others second?"
Key Points:
God has chosen to show how AWESOME He is through YOU.
When we only look at OURSELVES, we miss out on seeing GOD.
If we saw God's awesomeness more CLEARLY, we would live totally DIFFERENTLY.
Key Verses: Psalm 47:12, Exodus 33:15-20
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 59 (51 students, 8 leaders)

Vitals - June 14th

The Spark (Jr. High) - June 14th
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is... Ready" by Scott Hodge
Discussion Question:
"What is one are of you life that we can pray for God to give you more courage?"
Key Points:
God Is Always Ready... ARE YOU?
A huge part of being to be used by God is if we are...
- Willing to look FOOLISH
- Willing to be FAITHFUL
Key Verses: Psalm 18:30, Matthew 9:36-37, 1 Corinthians 1:27
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 103
1st Service: 38 (29 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 74 (64 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - June 14th
Message - "ONE PRAYER - God Is... Ready" by Scott Hodge
Discussion Questions:
"What do you think prayer is? What do you think it does?"
"When do you think keeps you from being used by God to do something huge for Him?"
"What is one are of you life that we can pray for God to give you more courage?"
Key Points:
God Is Always Ready... ARE YOU?
A huge part of being to be used by God is if we are...
- Willing to look FOOLISH
- Willing to live FLUIDLY
- Willing to be FAITHFUL
Key Verses: Psalm 18:30, Matthew 9:36-37, 1 Corinthians 1:27
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 58 (49 students, 9 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO is moving times!

4ORTY 2WO (our High School Ministry) is changing times! In order to be more Family-Friendly, we are changing times of our High School Ministry.

Starting June 7th, 4ORTY 2WO will begin meeting from 5:00p - 7:00p.
Doors will open at 4:45p and we will be closed at 7:45p.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at students@pointofgrace.com or call us at 515.987.9595 and we will help in any way that we can! We know that all change in hard, but we hope that this is a helpful change for your family that enables you all to spend more time together with your students.

Vitals - May 31st

The Spark (Jr. High) - May 31st
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Depression" by Kurt
Key Points:
When we choose to follow JESUS, we will live in the TENSION between positive and negative.
We need to view our situations as a STORY instead of a SNAPSHOT.
Only God can make something GOOD out of something BAD.
Key Verses: John 16:32-33, Revelation 21:3-5
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 74
1st Service: 20 (12 students, 8 leaders)
2nd Service: 62 (53 students, 9 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - May 31st
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Depression" by Kurt
Discussion Questions:
"What do you think causes people to get stuck in a cycle of depression?"
"When was the last time that you felt like God had let you down?"
Key Points:
When we choose to follow JESUS, we will live in the TENSION between positive and negative.
We need to view our situations as a STORY instead of a SNAPSHOT.
Only God can make something GOOD out of something BAD.
Key Verses: John 16:32-33, Revelation 21:3-5
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 50 (41 students, 9 leaders)

PARENT MEETING THIS SUNDAY!

This Sunday (March 31st) from 12:00-1:00p in the Student Zone is our Summer Parent Meeting! You do not want to miss this meeting as we will be discussing our plan for Summer as well as unveiling some new plans and strategies for Student Ministries that you will DEFINITELY want to hear! Any other parents that you know, if you could please remind them to make it to this very important meeting. Also if you know of any parents of current 5th graders who will be moving up on June 7th, that they will want to be at this as well!

We will have some drinks and light refreshments as well and some of our Student Leaders will be providing childcare for you in Zone 45 during this meeting. So don't miss this IMPORTANT meeting and we promise we will get you out in under an hour! Hope to see you there!

Vitals - May 24th

The Spark (Jr. High) - May 24th
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Abortion" by Katie
Key Points:
From God's perspective, there are no unplanned BABIES, only unplanned PARENTS.
Since humans are made in GOD'S IMAGE, all lives have infinite VALUE.
Key Verses: Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 139:13-16
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 93
1st Service: 30 (21 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 72 (62 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - May 24th
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Abortion" by Katie
Discussion Questions:
"Where do you get your self-worth from?"
"Why do you think that abortion is such a controversial issue?"
Key Points:
From God's perspective, there are no unplanned BABIES, only unplanned PARENTS.
Since humans are made in GOD'S IMAGE, all lives have infinite VALUE.
Key Verses: Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 139:13-16
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 57 (47 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO is moving times!

4ORTY 2WO (our High School Ministry) is changing times! In order to be more Family-Friendly, we are changing times of our High School Ministry.

Starting June 7th, 4ORTY 2WO will begin meeting from 5:00p - 7:00p.
Doors will open at 4:45p and we will be over by 7:30p.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at students@pointofgrace.com or call us at 515.987.9595 and we will help in any way that we can! We know that all change in hard, but we hope that this is a helpful change for your family that enables you all to spend more time together with your students.

Vitals - May 17th

The Spark (Jr. High) - May 17th
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Homosexuality" by Kurt
Key Points:
Jesus extended His FORGIVENESS to everyone regardless of LIFESTYLE.
God's greatest desire is for His FOLLOWERS to treat other people the way JESUS did.
Key Verses: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11a, John 8:3-4,8-11
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 118
1st Service: 40 (31 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 78 (68 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - May 17th
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Homosexuality" by Kurt
Discussion Questions:
"What do you think are Christian people's views of gay people?"
"What do you think are gay people's views of Christians?"
Key Points:
Jesus extended His FORGIVENESS to everyone regardless of LIFESTYLE.
God's greatest desire is for His FOLLOWERS to treat other people the way JESUS did.
Key Verses: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11a, John 8:3-4,8-11
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 57 (47 students, 10 leaders)

30 Hour Famine!

30 HOUR FAMINE - FRIDAY, MAY 15th @ 6:30p - SATURDAY, MAY 16th @ 3:00p

This Friday is the 30 Hour Famine! Your student will not want to miss this incredibly powerful overnight experience! This life-changing event will help your student become more aware of the situation that millions of children, women and men live in around the world. During this event they will experience hunger and poverty, raise awareness and money to solve the poverty crisis around the world, as well as do community service projects in our own community to help the less fortunate. This experience will be unlike any other that we have ever done. Your student will not want to miss the first one! For more information, be sure to contact students@pointofgrace.com or call Dawn at 515.987.9595 ext. 130.

Here's what you need to know:
- Have your student eat breakfast on Friday morning before 8:00am and then don't eat lunch at school.
- Show up at Point of Grace at 6:30p
- They are only allowed to bring 3 personal items... this includes clothing, deodorant, camera, pillow etc... so for example a person could bring a shirt to change into, a sleeping bag and a toothbrush, but no toothpaste or pillow... (medications do not count, but please turn them into an adult leader upon arrival with your student's name printed on them.)
- No Cell Phones, iPods, DVDs, Video games or players or other personal media devices.
- Please bring your signed permission slip with your student if you have not filled it out yet.
- We will provide Juice and Water breaks throughout the evening and make sure that they students are well hydrated.
- Pick will be at Point of Grace Church at 3:00p after our Service Projects in the morning and our "BREAK-FAST" Celebration...

Vitals - May 10th

The Spark (Jr. High) - May 10th
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Life and Death" by Katie
Key Points:
These HOT TOPICS only matter because they AFFECT PEOPLE.
GOOD PEOPLE don't go to heaven, FORGIVEN PEOPLE do.
Sometimes we would rather blame God for DEATH, than care about someone else's ETERNAL LIFE.
We need to fight for our friend’s RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS as if their life depends on it… because it does!
Key Verses: Jonah 4:1-3, 9-11
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 100
1st Service: 37 (28 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 72 (62 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - May 10th
Message - "HOT TOPICS - Life and Death" by Katie
Discussion Questions:
"What do you think is the purpose of this life on Earth?"
"What do you think happens to people after they die?"
Key Points:
These HOT TOPICS only matter because they AFFECT PEOPLE.
GOOD PEOPLE don't go to heaven, FORGIVEN PEOPLE do.
Sometimes we would rather blame God for DEATH, than care about someone else's ETERNAL LIFE.
We need to fight for our friend’s RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS as if their life depends on it… because it does!
Key Verses: Jonah 4:1-3, 9-11
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 50 (41 students, 9 leaders)

NEW SERIES!!

This weekend we will be starting a new series called "HOT TOPICS" discussing God's perspective on some very contemporary issues in our culture. This new series is unique in that it's topics were chosen by the students. During these 4-weeks, we will answer questions that we have been asked directly by students in the Student Ministry such as:
"What happens to people when they die?"
"Is homosexuality wrong?"
"What does the Bible say about abortion?" and
"Why does life hurt so bad sometimes?"

This we be an exciting and revealing series as we look at the Bible's surprisingly clear discussion on what seem to be somewhat "controversial" issues. While the answers are fairly clear, they might not be what we would have expected. Our goal in this series is to impress on the students that these issues only matter because they involve people, and God's greatest desire is for people. We hope that you student(s) can join us for this exciting series. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at students@pointofgrace.com or call us at 515.987.9595 and we would love to assist and partner with you in any way that we can!

Vitals - April 19th

The Spark (Jr. High) - April 19th
Message - "FIGHT CLUB - Fight For..." by Katie
Key Points:
God gives each of us a FAMILY so that we can learn to BE REAL with people.
No family chooses their CHALLENGE, but the do choose how they DEAL WITH IT.
JESUS understood the importance of OBEYING His parents.
FIGHTING FOR my relationship with my family means caring more about them than about getting MY OWN WAY.
Key Verses: Nehemiah 4:12-14, Luke 2:46-52
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 88
1st Service: 26 (17 students, 9 leaders)
2nd Service: 71 (61 students, 10 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - April 19th
Message - "FIGHT CLUB - Fight For..." by Katie
Discussion Questions:
"What is something that you do not love about your family?"
"What is something that you do love about your family?"
Key Points:
God gives each of us a FAMILY so that we can learn to BE REAL with people.
No family chooses their CHALLENGE, but the do choose how they DEAL WITH IT.
JESUS understood the importance of OBEYING His parents.
FIGHTING FOR my relationship with my family means caring more about them than about getting MY OWN WAY.
Key Verses: Nehemiah 4:12-14, Luke 2:46-52
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 51 (43 students, 8 leaders)

FIGHT CLUB!

This weekend we are starting our new series called "FIGHT CLUB" about Family Relationships. This two week series will focus your student's attention on the need for them to FIGHT FOR their relationships with their parents and siblings, rather than FIGHTING WITH them. We hope that your student(s) will join us for this two week series!

The Spark (6th-8th Grade)
Sunday Mornings @ 9:00 and 10:30 am

4ORTY 2WO (9th-12th Grade)
Sunday Nights @ 7:00pm

NO STUDENT SERVICES FOR EASTER!

This weekend we will not have Student Ministries services due to the Easter Holiday. Please take this opportunity to hang out with your student and celebrate Easter together as a family in the main service. They are starting a new series on parenting called "PARENTHOOD," and we hope that it will be very enjoyable as well as helpful. We will restart Student Ministries services next weekend (April 19th) with our new series on Family Relationships called "FIGHT CLUB." We hope that your student will join us next Sunday!

Vitals - April 5th

The Spark (Jr. High) - April 5th
Message - "AMP'd - On The Chopping Block" by Kurt
Key Points:
Our VIEW OF GOD impacts our WORSHIP of God.
God does not NEED our worship, He gives us the OPTION to encounter Him.
We need to RETHINK what worship is, and we need to RESET our life around God.
To worship with your LIFE, you have to love what GOD LOVES.
Key Verses: Acts 17:22-26,28, Romans 12:1-2
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 113
1st Service: 39 (29 students, 10 leaders)
2nd Service: 84 (72 students, 12 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - April 5th
Message - "AMP'd - On Chopping Block" by Kurt

There was no 4ORTY 2WO this weekend due to inclement weather.

No 4ORTY 2WO Tonight (4/5)

Hey everyone!
Just to let you know that we will not be having 4ORTY 2WO this evening due to the snow storm. Sorry for the late notice but the storm snuck up on us. Hope you and your students have a great and safe night and have a Happy Easter Next Week! If you have any questions, please call 515.577.2696 or email students@pointofgrace.com

Vitals - March 29th

The Spark (Jr. High) - March 29th
Message - "AMP'd - Superfan" by Katie
Key Points:
We were created to WORSHIP, so everyone worships SOMETHING.
A lifestyle of worshiping God is the opposite of BORING.
True worship is about giving YOUR ALL to God.
God created us to play a MAJOR ROLE in the story of Jesus.
Key Verses: Colossians 3:23, Acts 2: 41-47
Worship led by: Justin Willis and The Spark Band
Attendance:
Total: 126
1st Service: 46 (36 students, 10 leaders)
2nd Service: 90 (78 students, 12 leaders)

4ORTY 2WO (High School) - March 29th
Message - "AMP'd - Superfan" by Katie
Discussion Questions:
"When was the last time you experienced something so cool that you just had to tell others about it?"
"What do you think is the definition of the word 'worship'?"
Key Points:
We were created to WORSHIP, so everyone worships SOMETHING.
A lifestyle of worshiping God is the opposite of BORING.
True worship is about giving YOUR ALL to God.
God created us to play a MAJOR ROLE in the story of Jesus.
Key Verses: Colossians 3:23, Acts 2: 41-47
Worship led by: Justin Willis and Key To The City
Attendance: 65 (54 students, 11 leaders)

No Life Groups Tonight! Go Bowling...

There are no Life Groups tonight because of Spring Break. So come bowling with us tonight at Warrior Lanes from 8p to 10p. It costs $10 and it includes 2 hours of Xtreme Blackout Bowling and shoe rentals. Have your student bring their own money for food if they want. Hope to see them there!

SPRING BREAK MADNESS 2009!

Some people think that the Madness has to do with Basketball this March, but we know that it's really about Student Ministries and all the fun stuff we have going on this week! So be sure your student(s) join us for all the fun and invite their friends to come with them! There's no reason to be bored!

Here is the Line Up:


TUESDAY – March 17th TOKENS ARCADE
11:30am – 4:00pm
Meet & Pick Up at the Church (Parent Drivers Needed)
Cost: $20
Includes Lunch, Transportation, 1 Game of Lazer Tag, 1 Round of Mini Golf and 10 Game Tokens

*WE NEED PARENTS TO DRIVE TO AND FROM THIS EVENT!! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE PLEASE CALL KURT OR KATIE @ 515.577.2696 OR 515.577.9212 AND BRING YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE AND INSURANCE CARD ON TUESDAY! THANK YOU!!*


WEDNESDAY – March 18th
XTREME BOWLING @ WARRIOR LANES
7:30pm – 10:00pm
Meet & Pick Up at Warrior Lanes
190 Laurel Street, Waukee (Across Hickman from POG)
Cost: $10 plus bring money for food


THURSDAY – March 19th LUNCH AND A MOVIE @ JORDAN CREEK
11:30m – 3:30pm
Meet & Pick Up at Jordan Creek Dew Zone
Cost: $10-20 for Food and Movie Ticket
We will be seeing Race To Witch Mountain at 1:30p. It is Rated PG and produced by Disney.

If you have any questions or if you want to help out with any of these events, email us at students@pointofgrace.com. Thanks and hope to see your student at all the fun activities!

Sex Series Parent Preview (week.3)

This series has been such a great connecting point for the students! Last week, we had over 30 students commit to giving God control of their sexual lives. It was awesome! This week we are discussing the issue of setting both mental and physical boundaries before we are faced with the situation where we would need to make those certain decisions. So here are the message notes for this coming weekend (3.15) about what we will be teaching for Birds & Bees (The Spark) and UNCENSORED (4ORTY 2WO). Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with to help you connect and discuss this topic with your student.


The Spark (6th-8th Grade)
Week.3: Don't Get Stung!

They Bible tells us clearly that we are designed for sexual enjoyment and fulfillment, but in order to have the best experience we have to follow God's guidelines. However, only holding out our virginity is not the goal, it is not God's best. Virginity simply means that sexual intercourse has not occurred. This become problematic for students because they begin to assume that anything other than sexual intercourse is fine, and will not have any problematic consequences, physical or emotional.

God’s standard for our life is not just VIRGINITY it’s PURITY.

Immorality is defined and taking what is not yours, so sexual immorality is taking someone's sexuality that doesn't belong to you. For example: Pornography is looking at someone else's wife or husband so you are stealing their sexuality from them. Lust is stealing someone else's purity by imagining them in a sexual way.

“You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'—but not everything is good for you. And even though 'I am allowed to do anything,' I must not become a slave to anything. You say, 'Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.' But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies."
1 Corinthians 6:12-13

The Bible says to run away from anything that causes us to sin sexual and the question we want to get the students to ask themselves is, "How serious am I about putting God first in my life, and how does that play out in my commitment to remain as sexually pure as possible?" We want them to be willing to avoid sexual sin, even if it makes them look dumb, feel awkward, loose a boyfriend or a girlfriend or even mean making some real sacrificial changes in their life so that they can honor God and really respect their future spouse and set themselves up for a joyful, fulfilling and exciting sexual connection in marriage.

Setting BOUNDARIES ahead of time keeps us from getting STUNG!

Students are always looking for a boundary, and line that they know that they can go all the way up to and not get in trouble. Unfortunately the Bible does not give a hard and fast line, because God knows that sex is bigger than we think. This makes the conversation more difficult at times, but also more relevant and true for our lives. Many churches have stressed that we shouldn't have sex until we are married, which is good, but they regretfully do not discuss the things that are most commonly happening in student sexual lives. Things that they do not view as sex, but are sexual in nature. This has lead to a lot of confusion in the lives of teens, especially those in church.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful; love lasts forever.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

We want to close out this discussion talking about God's definition of love, and how if you are pursing love, you will not substitute it for sexual activity, because 'love is patient... and it doesn't demand it's own way.'

Big Idea:
It’s not LOVE unless it’s FOREVER.


4ORTY 2WO (9th-12 Grade)
Week.3: Caution I'm Hot... Don't Get Burned!

In the 21st century we have seriously jacked up the idea of Love and Sex. Many young people feel like having sex for the first time is something to just get over with before High School is over, so that they’ll be ready for college. ‘Being in love’ has become some milestone that one must reach in order to justify that they are ready for sexual activity. This understanding shatters lives, breaks hearts and cheapens our understanding of love. Truth be told… There’s not a condom in the world that can protect you from a broken heart!

God’s standard for our sex life is not just VIRGINITY it’s PURITY.

In many ways this is much harder than “just wait until your married,” it’s not just “abstinence is the only safe-sex,” rather it encompasses all of who we are, our mind, heart, body and soul. God cares about everything because our thoughts about ourselves and about other people reflect the condition of our heart and our relationship with Him.

“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything. You say, ‘Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.’ (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.”
1 Corinthians 6:12-13

We need to set boundaries with our thoughts, so that we can set limits for our choices. These boundaries need to protect us emotionally and physically.

Setting BOUNDARIES ahead of time keeps us from getting BURNED in the heat of the moment.

If you are seriously looking for a “line” not to cross you should think of the question in a different way, instead of giving/taking just enough from someone to not make God mad, think of how much you can save/protect for your future husband or wife one day, so that you can give the most of yourself that you possibly can. Those boundaries are not something anyone can make for you, you must come up with these for yourself, talk about it with a friend, parent or adult you trust and most of all if you surrender this area of your life to God and seek His wisdom, He won't let you down. Common sense: anything that is covered by a bathing suit is a no-go area of your body, long make out sessions might get you going sexually because that is how our bodies are created, just be honest with yourself and your boyfriend/girlfriend of how sensitive you are.

It’s important to set boundaries for what you allow to influence your thought life. The things you watch, sexual scenes in movies, pornography, etc., have a profound affect on what we begin to think is OK for us to act out in our behavior. They also can have a very detrimental affect on how we view ourselves, as well as members of the opposite sex.

“God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God. Don't abuse your brothers or sisters. Their concerns are God's concerns, and He will take care of them. We've warned you about this before. God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful - as beautiful on the inside as the outside.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

In GOD’S FAMILY there is no such thing as CASUAL SEX.

So the question begs to be answered… How far is too far when it comes to sex?

Well how far would you go with your dad in the room? How far would you go with your brother or sister? I know that sounds gross to think of it that way, but that’s what it looks like from God’s perspective as our Heavenly father, He sees it as abuse or just plain disturbing if we use each other for our own selfish pleasure.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

God wants us to be “love-elitists” when it comes to our thoughts on sexual purity.
Emotional purity… desiring/dropping the “L” bomb prematurely can be dangerous if the level of commitment is not forever, it has the potential to over promise and under-deliver. Not to mention, can accelerate your physical desire for that person. We are wired to want sex when we are promised Love, it is a biological and spiritual reaction to that level of intimacy. If the person you are with avoids meeting your parents, being around your friends, if your friends don’t like this person, if this person is not following God, that should be a huge red flag.

BIG IDEA:
It’s not really LOVE until it’s FOREVER.

[Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with to help you connect and discuss this topic with your student. Feel free to email thoughts, comments or questions to students@pointofgrace.com and we will get back to you! Until next week...]

Sex Series Parent Preview (week.2)

We had a great start to our new series this past weekend talking about Dating. This weekend, we we be discussing the topic of sexual purity and how we all need to make a choice to trust God with our decisions and choices regarding our sexual identity and our sexual activity. Our hope is to impress on the students the reality of magnitude of sex in an age appropriate manner that helps them understand WHY God says what He says regarding this topic. So here are the message notes for this coming weekend (3.8) about what we will be teaching for Birds & Bees (The Spark) and UNCENSORED (4orty 2wo). Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with to help you connect and discuss this topic with your student.


The Spark (6th-8th Grade)
Week.2: What's All The Buzz About?

Often times our perspective on certain things becomes warped or confused because we find ourselves being influenced by so many things, and they all seem to say different things and drive us in different directions. The magazines we read, the stores we shop at, our friends at school, the music we listen and almost everything else around us tries to influence us to think about sex in one way or another. It’s sometime hard for students to know what God says about sex, because all too often, churches aren’t talking about it, but everyone else is.

All the BUZZ about sex causes us to be UNSURE about what God thinks.

It’s would be easy to know what God thinks if He was the only one talking…

“God said, ‘It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a companion.’… This is why a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.”
Gen. 2:18, 24-25

God INVENTED sex, and He tell us the TRUTH about it.

God decided from the beginning to make us sexual beings, with the capacity to enjoy sex. However, He knows how powerful it is, and He loves us enough to trust us with it, but gives us a "Users Manual" for our protection.

“There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, ‘The two become one.’ Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never ‘become one.’”
1 Corinthians 6:16-17

Students have to understand both the beautiful, incredible experience that God desires us to have when it comes to sex, and the consequences that come from misusing something so powerful, in order to understand the motivation to save sex for a committed marriage relationship.

God’s plan is for sex to be ENJOYED in marriage.

Big Idea:
PURITY paves the way to INTIMACY.



4ORTY 2WO (9th-12 Grade)
Week.2: Best Sex Ever!

"Just loose 10 pounds and you will be more attractive.'" "If you have this shirt you will be more sexy." "The opposite sex will want you if you are this way or that way," they all try to tell us. Because of their influence, sex has become a dirty word, a taboo topic that you only talk about if you are immature or perverted. However, God has a lot to say about sex in the Bible, because, well... it was HIS IDEA! God was the one who created it! And He says that it is good. Not just good, but if used in the way He designed it, He says it is even Worship! Sex is wonderfully mysterious, amazing and yet can be totally confusing, frustrating and leave us feeling empty if it is abused. Because our culture is so saturated with sexual images and ideas, the mystery of sex is cheapened and destroyed.

“There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, ‘The two become one.’ Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never ‘become one.’”
1 Corinthians 6:16-17

The world says that sex is just PHYSICAL, but in fact it is also EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL.

Instead of just whining and complaining that we don't like what He tells us, which is what we usually do, God wants us to think about WHY He might have told us how and why to wait for sex. As we look at sex from God's perspective, we can see why we might want to put up some boundaries and limits about how it is to be used. Think about it, everything that is cool, everything that we look forward to, those milestones in life, come with higher risk and add more limits to our life. You get your driver's license, so you get to drive, but you have to obey the speed limit and wear a seatbelt. You move out, and you get to set your own social schedule, but you have to get a job to financially support that social life. Everything good in life comes with higher risk and higher reward, and sex is no different. If we truly want to enjoy sex the way God designed us to, we need to listen to His insight about how it is to be used, because those "limits" are there for our protection because He loves us. The reality is, if we begin to look at sex from God's perspective, everything that He says about it, will make total sense.

“There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for ‘becoming one’ with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Sex starts between the EARS, way before it’s ever between the LEGS.

God's design for sex completely contradicts the world's persuasion about sex. The world tells us that great sex is sex without boundaries or inhibitions. This encouragement is actually counter-productive to good sex. Most high school students that have sex regret their decision and wish they would have waited. Based on the latest scientific research, the brain actually reacts completely differently regarding sex, and the hormones it produces when sex is within a committed relationship where there is little fear, embarrassment or shame of rejection. This is amazing, because new scientific research is actually saying what God has said all along: That sex is the best within a committed marriage. This is why it is so important for students to make decisions about sex before they are in the position to have act out their decision to have sex, or remain pure.

“God said, ‘It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a companion.’… This is why a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.”
Gen. 2:18, 24-25

God’s desire is for you to have the BEST SEX EVER and He knows that only happens when there is NO SHAME.

God’s design for sex was that we could be naked with each other and feel no shame… Adam and Eve in the garden, God was still at the center of their relationship, they had nothing to compare to, they didn’t have the burden of past mistakes, no regrets, they did not feel self conscious at all, didn’t worry about adding up to pressures they saw around them…they could simply give themselves to each other completely, beautifully and wholly; out of pure love.

Big Idea:
PURITY paves the way to INTIMACY.

[Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with to help you connect and discuss this topic with your student. Feel free to email thoughts, comments or questions to students@pointofgrace.com and we will get back to you! Until next week...]

30 Hour Famine Postponed!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that the 30 Hour Famine has been postponed until Spring in order to allow more people to get involved in the experience. So if your student has been raising money,tell them to keep up the good work, and if they haven't gotten involved yet, be sure they pick up a packet this weekend from the Habit Shack! Look forward to more details to be announced soon! For more information please feel free to email students@pointofgrace.com and we will get back to you!

Sex Series Parent Preview (week.1)

This weekend we start our new series's on sexual purity and dating. In this series we want your students to learn about God's great plan for sex in their lives and how they can make good choices now, about when and who to date, setting boundaries and keeping promises, that will benefit them in the future and lead to a godly, satisfying and intimate marriage.

Here are the main points and verses that we will be discussing this weekend (3.1), so that you can be prepared ahead of time to have meaningful conversations with your student about what they are learning. Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with to help you connect and discuss this topic with your student.


The Spark (6th-8th Grade):

Dating brings up a lot of questions in the minds of students. When can I start? Who should I go out with? What am I supposed to do? Why even date in the first place? Does God say anything about dating?

All of these are good questions to ask, but unfortunately the Bible says absolutely nothing about dating. Dating wasn't around in Biblical times so instead of trying to cram verses about marriage to fit into dating, we will take a look at the whole picture of God's view on love, relationships and gender to determine what the appropriate move on dating should be. But know that anything you ever hear about the "Bible's position on dating," is an opinion. (Even if Joshua Harris says otherwise.)

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Proverbs 4:23

Most people date to see what they can GET out of it.

Often when we first start to think about the idea of dating, our focus is on all the wrong things. We try to change who we are in order to fit into who we think the person we like, thinks they want. We dumb ourselves down, or change what we think or what we like in order to get a boyfriend or girlfriend, rather that remain faithful to who God made us to be and waiting for someone to like us for who we are. The pressure to date early on, is mostly to fulfill social pressure or sexual urges, both of which can lead to trouble, whereas dating with an end in mind, the goal of preparing for a healthy marriage, can lead to fun, fulfilling and God-honoring relationships.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for to harm you or keep things from you, but to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.’”
Jeremiah 29:11-13

God wants the BEST for me and my FUTURE.

Dating can be a great experience that helps us become more selfless, learn to get along with people of the opposite sex, and help us discover what qualities we are looking for in a person to marry. However, statistics show that the earlier that you start dating the more likely you are to cross a boundary and sacrifice your purity. So, sometimes the best choice we can make to ensure our purity is to wait to date exclusively, until we are old enough to know what it means to really be in a relationship that has a goal of preparing for marriage.

Big Idea:
The goal of DATING is to learn who you ARE and who you want to BE WITH.




4ORTY 2WO (9th-12 Grade)
Week 1: Stop Looking for the Perfect Person.

We were designed with a desire for intimacy. That is a God-given desire. That desire for a deep connection with another person was invented by God (not the sappy love songs we listen to, or the movies we watch, or the author of Twilight)

Why is our experience of this in real life, often so different than what we see in the movies?

If we really knew what we were getting into with our dating, we probably wouldn’t…
- Sexual Mistakes, Confusion, Self-Doubt, Insecurity, Hurt, Getting Cheated-On, Rumors, etc.

If we were really HONEST the way most people date is practice for DIVORCE, instead of preparation for MARRIAGE.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for to harm you or keep things from you, but to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.’”
Jeremiah 29:11-13

We look at what we can get out of dating: as soon as someone cuter or smarter comes along… someone with less emotional baggage, or someone who is more popular, someone who can give us something that someone else couldn’t. Nobody ever actually says this out loud though…

In DATING we usually look for what we can GET out of it.

What’s worse is that most often we might even pretend we are something to someone because we think that’s what they want to get out of it, or we’ll dumb down part of who we are because it might intimidate the other person… We are afraid of being “too much” and at the same time “not enough.”

“Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church - a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor - since they're already 'one' in marriage.”
Ephesians 5:25-27

Any healthy dating relationship should add to the good things that are already in your life: your dreams, hobbies, interests, church friends/involvement, relationship with your family, etc. However, all too often, once someone gets in a dating relationship, everything else in their lives goes on the back burner. Friendships slip, family relationships get stressed, extra-curricular activities or hobbies disintegrate and soon couples are left with only themselves, which was never God's plan. Dating relationships have the potential to consume our lives, rather that enhance them, and God doesn't want anything to consume all of our attention and focus except for Him.

We EXPECT another person to meet a need that only GOD can fill.

Often when we first start to think about the idea of dating, our focus is on all the wrong things. We try to change who we are in order to fit into who we think the person we like, thinks they want. We dumb ourselves down, or change what we think or what we like in order to get a boyfriend or girlfriend, rather that remain faithful to who God made us to be and waiting for someone to like us for who we are. Or, even more dangerously, we try to "focus on God" while secretly hoping that the other person will take notice and fall in love with us too. This does not fool God and it hurts us because our focus is not on Him, or even on healing or growing our relationship with Him, but it's looking for approval only from another person. When we put our whole life on hold, or only seek approval from one place or person, we are setting ourselves up for a serious letdown.

“Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe - and you're ready.”
Song of Songs 8:4

BIG IDEA:
Instead of trying to find the PERFECT PERSON, focus on BECOMING the person God wants you to be.

[Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with to help you connect and discuss this topic with your student. Feel free to email thoughts, comments or questions to students@pointofgrace.com and we will get back to you! Until next week...]