Centreville Presbyterian Church » High School Students

HomeFront, Winter Retreat pics, and Devotional

sharon — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:11:49 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 2.21.12

Thank you for your prayers and participation in this past weekend’s Winter Retreat! What an amazing group of students and adults! Check out the pictures on our facebook page. We even had participants in the evening’s Torch Run at Whitetail!

High School Winter Retreat 2012

A special shout-out to our adult leaders: Cathy B, Jenn D, Tim L, Ashley and Philip W.! I am so deeply grateful for your commitment to the students. Thank you for giving of your time and your life to discipling and being witnesses of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Announcements….

HomeFront. This Sunday, February 26 (7-8:30 pm) is our next high school large group gathering back to room 206! The 2012 missional focus will challenge us to live out our faith daily. Worship, snacks, and rowdy games are included as well! All mission team members need to attend.

NOTE to Guatemala Team: Thank you for hosting HomeFront this week. Arrive at 6:30pm to open walls and set up. And, we look forward to the tasty snackss you bring to share. Plan to stay about 15 minutes late to close the walls and re-set the room. THANK YOU!!

Guatemala and Yucatan Teams. Your $800 payment is due this Friday, February 24. If you prefer paying with a check (instead of online through the CPC website), you may bring a check on Sunday, February 26. Please put your check in the white registration box hanging next to my office door.

“Art for Hope” Auction. The high school international teams host CPC’s first art auction on Saturday, March 24 (7:00 p.m.)! Join us for an elegant evening of art, hors ‘d oeuvres, and live entertainment. The event features art in various mediums and price ranges, along with silent auction, door prizes and raffles. Admission: $20 per person, $35 per couple. Tickets available from mission team members !!

(REALLY Important) Sunday Morning Life Group Snacks. We have a few more weeks on our snack schedule for the Sunday morning Life Groups. For the remainder of the year, I have created a sign-up through Volunteer Spot. Love the new technology! Here is the link to sign-up. Thank you so much for contributing to this critical piece of ministry! :-)

Sunday Morning Ministries. Join us for Life Groups (9th – 12th grades) every week at 10:00 a.m. in room 206. We begin the new season as we discuss having a missional lifestyle…including the joys and the struggles!

Do you Tweet? Follow us on twitter @CPCStudent for event updates, weather changes, retreat check-ins, and more. Or go here and scroll down to “tweets” to get live updates. If you are a facebook user, be sure to also ”like” the CPC High School facebook page for even more details!

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

What Jesus Said: Don’t Judge

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)

This might be one of the most often quoted verses in the New Testament by people who don’t often read the New Testament. We’re dropping in on the middle of Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” this week, kicking off with a verse many of us have attempted to use like a “get out of jail free” card when we’ve been caught in sin.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to judge me for killing kittens! Jesus said so! What is wrong with you? Don’t you ever read your own Bible? Now leave me alone; I’ve got a lot of kittens to get through before supper time.” It goes something like that.

Of course, if you read on to the next verse, Jesus is not saying we should never have an opinion about what is right and what it wrong—or even that we should not lovingly correct each other. He does seem to be saying one of two things. One: It is God’s job to be the judge, not yours. If you try to do His job, you’ll receive from Him the same judgement that you try to pronounce on others.

Or, two, He might be making a wisdom statement about human nature: We all tend to feel and act judgmentally toward people who are judging us. And we tend to give more grace toward those who show us grace and mercy. Either way: If you don’t want to be judged, don’t volunteer to judge others.

Think: Why do we sometimes feel so compelled to judge people who are obviously doing something wrong? How do you decide when it is right to confront a friend about sin and when it is right not to?

Pray: Ask God to help you not to wrongfully judge others and for the wisdom to know when it is right to offer loving and helpful correction to a friend or family member who is sinning.

Do: Think about this verse in light of what you read in James 5:19-20.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

The Vow [Christianity Today]
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
Approximately one-third of the population can’t snap their fingers!

Chick-fil-A tonight, HS Retreat on Friday, and Art…coming soon!

sharon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:28:38 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 2.13.12

Announcements….

Chick-fil-A Fundraier TONIGHT! Join us for dinner and friends at Chantilly’s Chick-fil-A between 5-7:00 p.m. tonight (February 13)! All proceeds go toward the high school international teams. See you at dinner! :-)

Winter Retreat 2012. Space is still available!! We return to Rhodes Grove Conference Center in Pennsylvania for our February 17-19 weekend! Discussions of faith (theme this year: The Resurrection and Lent), connecting with others, great food and lots of games will fill our hours. On Saturday we’ll go to Whitetail Ski Resort to tube, ski, snowboard, or just hang out in the lodge. Download the flier for costs and the permission slip from our “Events” sidebar. Fliers also available outside the Student Min office.

Parents of Winter Retreat Participants. Please join me in room 101 on Sunday, February 19 at 2:00 pm. I’ll returnearly from the retreat to share feedback about the discussions and weekend highlights! Students and fellow leaders will return by 3:00 p.m.

HomeFront. Sunday, February 26 (7-8:30 pm) is our next high school large group gathering back to room 206! The 2012 missional focus will challenge us to live out our faith daily. Worship, snacks, and rowdy games are included as well! All mission team members need to attend.

International Summer Mission Teams. If you are interested in serving on one of next summer’s international teams and have not registered yet, please contact me as soon as possible. The Guatemala team is full, but the Yucatan (June 30-July 7) and Zambia (July 17-31) teams have space available. Info sheets and applications are on our website.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

When Plans Change: Need Rest?

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ ” (Mark 6:30-31)

How do you handle it when your plans get changed, even for good reasons? Does it stress you out? Do you feel disappointed, angry even? We’re going to learn along with Jesus’ disciples this week some big ideas about how to handle an unexpected change of plans.

Being one of Jesus’ disciples was a crazy life. They were worn out, too busy from ministry with Jesus among the huge crowds to even find time to eat. Jesus saw the problem and said, “Let’s get away; we need rest.”

I’d guess that sounded really good to them. They’d just come back from a mission away from Jesus; they probably felt like they needed some time with him that didn’t involve hordes of needy people. You might feel that way sometimes. Time alone with God is important. Rest is essential. We’re not built to just keep going — even in serving God — without stopping until we fall over.

So the plan was to get a break — but the break didn’t happen. Come back tomorrow.

Think: On a scale from 1 to 10, how busy has your life been, lately? Have you been busy doing good things — or just doing? Do you ever get too busy to eat properly? How are you at resting and taking some time to just be alone with God once in a while?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be busy in your life doing things that are worthwhile. Ask Him, too, to give you enough times of rest and being alone with Him to keep from getting too worn out.

Do: Plan some restful time alone with God in the next week or so.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

The Woman in Black [Christianity Today]
Chronicle [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.

High School News: Missional HomeFront Kicks off this Sunday

sharon — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:38:19 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 2.5.12

Announcements….

Guest Speaker in Life Groups. The next week (Sunday, Feb 12) we welcome guest speaker, Marcia Montenegro, back to Life Groups for a second week (10-10:45 am in 206). Her discussion yesterday generated good conversation and questions. If you missed last week, be sure to come this Sunday!! Through her ministry, Christian Answers for the New Age, she has impacted many lives. Marcia offers valuable insights to the truth of the gospel while shedding light into the distortions of the New Age and eastern traditions.

HomeFront. Next Sunday, February 12 (7-8:30 pm) brings the high school large group gathering back to room 206! The 2012 missional focus will challenge us to live out our faith daily. Worship, snacks, and rowdy games are included as well! All mission team members need to attend.

SAVE THE DATE: March 24 (7:00 p.m.) Art for Hope art auction to help send the international mission teams to Guatemala, Yucatan, and Zambia

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Bigger Grace: The Same Sosthenes?

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes.” (1 Corinthians 1:1)

We’re trying to wrap our minds around the huge idea of grace week. Let’s look at Paul’s pen man for his letter to the Christians in Corinth. Scholars guess this might be the same guy — with the same name — who dragged Paul in front of a Roman court in Corinth in Acts 18 trying to get him jailed or killed for converting so many people to Christianity.

That Sosthenes was the Jewish “synagogue ruler” who had his case thrown out by the Roman judge and then got beat up by an angry Gentile mob of people who hated the Jews. That’s the last we hear of him, lying beaten on the street while Paul goes back to spreading the good news about Jesus.

Then this verse quite a while later. What an amazing story if this is the same guy. It would mean that, like the synagogue leader in Corinth before him, Sosthenes also believed in Jesus, putting all of his hope in the grace and forgiveness of God instead of following the Law — and went to work with the same apostle he tried to get arrested.

God’s grace works like that, converting enemies into family members, granting the highest privileges to the worst of sinners, offering forgiveness in exchange for simple belief. Stay tuned.

Think: Do you know anyone who lived the worst kind of life — even hating God — before finally coming to faith in Christ and the promise of heaven? Does that bother you or excite you?

Pray: Ask God to help you to better understand His grace this week.

Do: Read the whole story of Paul and then Sosthenes in Acts 18:1-17.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Man on a Ledge [Christianity Today]
The Grey [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
The faster a kangaroo hops, the less energy it burns!

High School Retreat: Place to Connect with God & Friends

sharon — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:51:30 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 1.25.12

Many thanks to everyone who helped with the Project Experience! Our interactive exhibit brought the reality of poverty, hunger, human trafficking, and the desperate needs of developing countries to our attention. If you missed the Experience, check out this overview.

Announcements….

Winter Retreat 2012. We return to Rhodes Grove Conference Center in Pennsylvania for our February 17-19 weekend! Discussions of faith (theme this year: The Resurrection and Lent), connecting with others, great food and lots of games will fill our hours. On Saturday we’ll go to Whitetail Ski Resort to tube, ski, snowboard, or just hang out in the lodge. Download the flier for costs and the permission slip from our “Events” sidebar. Fliers also available outside the Student Min office.

High School Musical, Jr. opens next month! Get your tickets online or in the church office for a wonderful show of hope and encouragement. Showtimes are February 2 and 3 (7:30 p.m.) and Feb 4 (4:00 p.m.). All proceeds help to support our middle school mission team serving in Charlotte, NC this summer.

Super Bowl Sub Sandwich Sales. Order your Super Bowl Subs and let the North Carolina Mission Team cater your Super Bowl meal! Order one, two, or twenty 6” sub sandwiches for only $4.00 each! Menu options will include ham and cheese, turkey and cheese, and deluxe (variety of meats and cheeses). Orders may be made on Sunday mornings or by calling the church office! Last day to order is January 29.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

“To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14)

Angels serve humans? What a wild idea that those awesome, powerful, fiery creatures of the wind who worship Jesus and obey His commands would be sent to serve the humans who will “inherit salvation.”

That tells us something about the purpose of angels, but it also tells us something about Jesus and the humans who are trusting in Him for their salvation.

First, we see again — once more — that Jesus is above the angels. He sits in the seat of power and victory at God’s right hand. But what does He do with that commanding position? How does He put His angel army to use?

He sends them to minister to the people He loves, the people He died for — including those being persecuted for their faith in Him. He spends His power, in part, to serve His people.

Think: Have you expanded your picture of powerful King Jesus as God this week? Has that changed in any way how you feel about Him, how you might choose to worship Him?

Pray: Praise Jesus that He sits in the victory seat at the right hand of God.

Do: Today’s passage quotes from Psalm 110. Check it out to see the picture it paints of the conquering King Jesus.

2. POTENT QUOTABLES

He who laughs last didn’t get it.
~ Helen Giangregorio

Love is like pi: natural, irrational, and very important.
~ Lisa Hoffman

3. UH, THAT’S FUNNY?

Q: What do you call a sheep with no legs?
A: A cloud.

The Project Experience, Winter Retreat, Life Groups!

sharon — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:26:23 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 1.17.12

SPOTLIGHT:

The Project Experience is HERE this weekend! Hosted by the high school international mission teams,The Project Experience, opens at CPC on Saturday. The exhibit is open to all ages (Saturday, Jan 21 at 1-4:00 p.m. and Sunday, Jan 22 at 10am – 2:00 p.m.). Participants will gain a better understanding of the needs of impoverished nations through this interactive experience.

Walk through CPC rooms transformed to represent homes, cooking needs, lack of medical care, and other challenges facing developing countries. Allow approximately 30-45 minutes for the experience. The exhibit concludes with the Response Room where you can write letters to orphans, pick-up brochures to learn more about missionaries, sign up for a mission project, as well as prayerfully and financially support this summer’s international teams.

Announcements….

Winter Retreat 2012. We return to Rhodes Grove Conference Center in Pennsylvania for our February 17-19 weekend! Discussions of faith, connecting with others, great food and lots of games will fill our hours. On Saturday we’ll go to Whitetail Ski Resort to tube, ski, snowboard, or just hang out in the lodge. Download the flier for costs and the permission slip from our “Events” sidebar. Fliers also available outside the Student Min office.

Genghis Grill Fundraiser! Please join the high school mission teams for their fundraiser at Genghis Grill (near Chantilly Costco) TONIGHT (Tuesday, January 17 between 5-10:00 p.m.). Please tell your server that you are there to support our mission team and we will receive a percentage of the sales.

Class of 2012. Jashemski Scholarships provide financial assistance for students of outstanding intellectual ability as evidenced by prior academic performance, and significant religious commitment as evidenced by formal membership in a religious body, regular participation in its worship life, and active involvement in its service ministry. Ordinarily recipients will be young people (17-25 years of age) who demonstrate in their thought and action the broad religious sensitivity characteristic of Stanley and Wilhelmina Jashemski; have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5; are active members of a Christian church; are pursuing liberal arts studies; show evidence of social and civic concern; have financial need. Applications can be found here are due February 15. Please send questions to Jashemski@takomaparkpc.org.

For Parents: Weekly Sunday morning Adult Education opportunities are resuming (10-10:45 a.m.). The Study of Daniel continue (new participants are always welcome). The 8-week Hurried Family class offers valuable discussions to ponder ways to balance the busyness of life and the health of our family.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Praise Week: Get Loud

“Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!” (Psalm 66:1-2)

King David had a volume issue. He had this expectation that people praising the God of the universe should crank it up to 11 sometimes. He wanted to hear joyful shouting and loud singing — but not just noise. He wanted it to be both loud and “glorious,” excellent, good.

We’re tuning in to Psalm 66 this week to think about what it means to praise God. Sometimes we think of praising God as doing whatever the worship leader tells us to do for the 20 minutes before the preaching starts. Read the screen and follow along.

We’ll see, though, that David praised with a purpose. There was a method to his glorious worship shouting. We’re going to look at a few ways we can learn to praise and worship our glorious God on purpose, as well.

Think: How often do you shout with joy? Sporting events? Concerts? How often do you shout for joy to God? Does your church get loud and excellent when praising Him? How could you make it even better?

Pray: Ask God to help you to shout with joy to Him when the time is right and to sing the glory of His name and to make His praise glorious.

Do: Find the right time and place this week and do what today’s verse tells us to do.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Contraband [Christianity Today]
Joyful Noise [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

What if you could make a difference…

sharon — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Can the vicious cycle of poverty be stopped?

Can one person make a difference?

Can one church impact a nation?

What if it we could?

What if you are being called?

Our high school international mission teams are hosting a unique experience
on January 21-22 at CPC…

Join us at the interactive exhibit, The Project Experience, to explore ways to make an impact.

All ages are invited to go through the exhibit stations to learn more about lack of water, medical needs, human trafficking, AIDS and other challenges facing developing nations.

Note to parents: we will route the younger children around the rooms focused on human trafficking.

Exhibit Hours:
Saturday, January 21 1-4:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 22 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Please allow about 30 minutes to walk through the entire exhibit

The final room in the exhibit includes ways to respond. Write letters to AIDS orphans, jot a note to full-time missionaries in Nepal, pick up information about International Justice Mission’s work to free enslaved children, prayerfully and financially support this summer’s international mission teams.

Yes… we can make a global impact!

High School Winter Retreat, Missions, The Project Experience

sharon — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:02:01 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 1.10.12

SPOTLIGHT:

The Project Experience is Coming! Hosted by the high school international mission teams,The Project Experience, comes to CPC next weekend. The exhibit is open to all ages (Saturday, Jan 21 at 1-4:00 p.m. and Sunday, Jan 22 at 10am – 2:00 p.m.). Participants will gain a better understanding of the needs of impoverished nations through this interactive experience.

Announcements….

Genghis Grill Fundraiser! Please join the high school mission teams for their fundraiser at Genghis Grill (near Chantilly Costco) on Tuesday, January 17 (5-10:00 p.m.). Please tell your server that you are there to support our mission team and we will receive a percentage of the sales.

High School Mission Team Training Began! So good to see all of the mission team members at Sunday night’s training meeting. We are abundantly blessed by each team member, student and adult! Please be in touch with each other this week as we continue to gather the supplies for the Project Experience! Bring your supplies to my office by this Sunday (January 15).

Sunday Morning Life Group Snacks. We have a few more weeks on our snack schedule for the Sunday morning Life Groups. For the remainder of the year, I have created a sign-up through Volunteer Spot. Love the new technology! Here is the link to sign-up. Thank you so much for contributing to this critical piece of ministry! :-)

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
Self-Control Week: Letting It Go

“He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.“

(Proverbs 17:9)

How powerful is the period on the end of this sentence? “I forgive you.” Your answer to that question will have buckets-full to do with the quality of your relationships for the rest of your life.

Someone did wrong to you and it lead to a fight. You both agree they were wrong. They say “sorry.” You say, “It’s okay; I forgive you.” And it’s done forever, right? Well, not always. It takes a lot of self-control to let it stay finished, especially when the next fight comes around.

Today’s passage says love grows out of our ability to “cover over” an offense by letting it stay finished, by practicing powerful forgiveness, by keeping the vault closed.

Friendships can break when the period at the end of “I forgive you.” doesn’t do its job.

Think: Why do you think even good friends sometimes have trouble not bringing up past hurts and sins again and again? Have you ever lost a friend because one or the other of you couldn’t let something go?

Pray: Ask God to help you to promote love in your friendships by covering over offenses with forgiveness and mercy when it is wise to do so.

Do: Pay attention this week for anyone who brings up offenses in a way that damages relationships.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

W ar Horse [Christianity Today]

The Devil Inside [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
Hummingbirds can’t walk.

Connections for high school students: Winter Retreat, Life Groups, Missions

sharon — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:41:46 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 1.3.12

White House Ornaments. Many thanks to everyone who helped support our high school mission teams through their purchases of ornaments!! We have a few more ornaments left (as well as the CPC Christmas ornament that is beautifully etched in glass) if you still need to fill in your collection.

High School Mission Team Training Begins. Our first training meeting for international teams and for student leaders on MS North Carolina team is Sunday, January 8 (7-8:30 p.m.). All students and adults need to attend. Parents are welcome, but do not need to attend. We will review details about the Project Experience as well as begin our mission preparations!

For Parents: Weekly Sunday morning Adult Education opportunities resume on January 8 (10-10:45 a.m.). The Study of Daniel will continue (new participants are always welcome). The 8-week Hurried Family class will offer valuable discussions to ponder ways to balance the busyness of life and the health of our family.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Live Different: Be Done with Sin

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1-2)

Several years ago, before Apple was the most powerful company in the universe (exaggeration?), they ran an ad campaign called “Think Different.” Especially back then, they wanted people to consider the possibility that their “Windows” on the world wasn’t the only way to see things.

God’s Word tells Christians to “think different,” as well. And having our minds renewed is a big part of what it means to become like Jesus. But we’re not meant to stop at thinking different(ly?). God calls us to live different from the world in very specific ways. In fact, it’s one key to becoming as powerful in Christ as God means for us to be.

Peter will help us to understand what that means this week, but it does start with taking on a Christ-like attitude toward sin. In short, as people who are willing to die for Christ, why would we want to waste our lives living for sin? Living different starts with not letting our physical appetites make the decisions for us.

Living different means living to say yes to God.

Think: Is your goal in your natural self to stand out from the crowd or to fit in? Is your goal as a Christ-follower to do either of those things? According to today’s passage, what should be your goal as a Christ-follower?

Pray: Ask God to help you not to waste your life living for sin but to live for the will of God, instead.

Do: Today’s verse starts with a “therefore.” Read 1 Peter 3:8-22 to see what it’s “there for.
Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Christianity Today]
We Bought a Zoo [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
Bacteria that cause tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis, and leprosy can be cured with cashews.

Student Ministry Brunch this Sunday; AND, Winter Retreat details released

sharon — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:53:08 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 12.12.11

Worship times for CPC’s Christmas Eve services and Christmas Day & New Year’s Day services are here. Join us for blessed times to gather and celebrate Christ’s birth!!

Student Ministry Brunch. We are hosting a brunch for all middle school and high school students along with our high school alums (!) on Sunday, December 18 at 11:00 a.m. It’ll be a great way to reconnect with one another and enjoy great food. Thank you to everyone who has signed up to help with the food and fixings! Please check out the Volunteer Spot for a few more needs.

CPC Christmas Ornaments. Glass-etched CPC ornaments are back by popular demand! The ornament includes a beautiful rendition of the church building along with the year we moved in. Cost $10 each or two for $15.

White House Ornaments. Support our high school mission teams!! Please purchase your White House Ornaments from our teams. The current year ornament is $20; all back year ornaments are $18. They make great gifts to friends, relatives, co-workers, and teachers! On sale in the church office, from a team member, or at Manassas Mall on Fridays (5-9:00 pm) and Saturdays (9 am – 9 pm).

We will hold training meetings on nine Sunday nights beginning in January (7-8:30 pm). Student and adult team members need to participate in the training meetings. Fundraisers begin with White House Ornament sales. We are signing up for shifts through Volunteer Spot. Please sign up for two shifts (need student and their parent). Many thanks to the families who worked the ornament booth this past weekend!!

Sunday Morning Ministries. Join us for Life Groups (9th – 12th grades) every week at 10:00 a.m. in room 206. We begin the new season “Weaver” as we discuss relationships in our lives…including the joys and the struggles! Join us as we move into our student-led groups this week.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Eyewitness: “I Was There”

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1)

Listen to the eyewitness testimony of the apostle John. He makes, as he does in other parts of the Bible, an outrageous claim about the man called Jesus — that He is the Son of God, the path to a relationship with the Father, the one hope for forgiveness and eternity in heaven.

He opens with his strongest piece of evidence: “I was there. I saw it with my own eyes. I heard Him with my own ears. I touched Him with my own hands.” Jesus’ biography in the gospels tell us that John saw Jesus dying on the cross and that he saw Him alive again after death. In fact, John described himself as the disciple Jesus loved, maybe Christ’s closest human friend.

John isn’t just a lawyer making the case for Christianity; he’s the witness in the stand. He tells us what he saw and what it means — why his glimpse of that key moment in the history of the world makes him qualified to proclaim the message of eternal life.

Think: How much more credibility do you give to an eyewitness than to somebody who is telling about something they heard from someone else? Why?

Pray: Thank God for John’s first-hand account of Jesus, the Savior.

Do: Read through 1 John 1 once or twice to get ready to think about the chapter this week.
Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

New Year’s Eve [Christianity Today]
The Sitter [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
In Brazil, Christmas is celebrated with fireworks.

HS Ministry: Making Advent Meaningful to Teens

sharon — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:01:08 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 12.5.11

Looking for meaningful ways to spend time with your teen this Christmas season? Talk as a family to choose some nights to be together. Stay at home or venture out… just do something together! Consider going to Bull Run Regional Park’s Festival of Lights, enjoying a night of bowling, or catching a movie together. Check out additional ideas here.

“Parent’s Night Out” . Do you know any parents of young children who would like a night out?? The international mission teams will host a “Parent’s Night Out” fundraiser THIS Saturday, December 10 (4-8:00 p.m.) for all infants and children through 5th grade! Our teams have a fun evening planned for the children (including pizza for dinner). Children can join us for part or all of the evening.

Parents need to reserve a space on the sign-up sheet in the Lobby or email me. Cost: any amount of donation. All donations received will go toward our 2012 summer mission projects.

Student Ministry Brunch. We are hosting a brunch for all middle school and high school students along with our high school alums (!) on Sunday, December 18 at CPC (upstairs in Room 206) at 11:00 a.m. It’ll be a great way to reconnect with one another and enjoy great food. We’d love help with the food and fixings! Please check out the Volunteer Spot for opportunities to be a part of the event.

Combined HS/MS Summer Mission. The combined mission project will be July 9-14. We will travel to Charlotte, NC to serve with Travis and Jessica Jones (2010- SMP Niagara Falls Mission Participants) with Missionary Athletes International. High school students interested in participating should contact Nicole for details. Applications, references and interviews are all due this week.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Faith to Feelings: Rejoice!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

How big is the gap between what you say you believe and how you’re feeling emotionally? That’s the question we’re going to tackle this week as we dig through part of Philippians 4.

Paul wrote a lot about trusting God all the way into our emotional state of mind. Does it make sense for someone to say that the God of the universe is also the Father who loves her best — and still feel depressed? angry? anxious? bitter? sad? giddy?

The Bible answers yes to some of those and no to others, depending on the source of the emotion and the depth of our faith. Today’s verse, for instance, is not a command to feel shiny happy all of the time, no matter what. God doesn’t want us to paste smiles over what we really feel.

It is a command, though, to actively tell ourselves that being in Christ — having God as our Father — is always, always cause for celebration. No matter the ups and downs of our daily lives, exercising our joy response — whether that involves singing and dancing or just quietly remembering that we’re loved and okay in Him — is a rational response to being a child of the King with a secure, prosperous, and eternal future.

Think: How would you describe your emotional state of mind today? How does what you believe about your relationship with God through Jesus impact you emotionally? Do you let it change how you feel? Can you stop it from changing how you feel?

Pray: Ask God to help you to rejoice in the Lord always. Then ask Him again.

Do: Ask five or so Christians you know how they choose to “rejoice in the Lord always.” What does that mean to them?

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

The Descendants [Christianity Today]
My Week With Marilyn [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
In 1659, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts.

BackDoor Coffee House THIS Sunday!

sharon — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:26:53 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 11.28.11

Do you know any parents of young children who would like a night out?? The international mission teams will host a “Parent’s Night Out” fundraiser on Saturday, December 10 (4-8:00 p.m.) for all infants and children through 5th grade! Our teams have a fun evening planned for the children (including pizza for dinner). Children can join us for part or all of the evening.

Parents need to reserve a space on the sign-up sheet in the Lobby or email me. Cost: any amount of donation. All donations received will go toward our 2012 summer mission projects.

Announcements….

BackDoor Coffee House. The coffee house offers high school students a place to hang out and connect with one another. Live music, coffees, sodas, and snacks along with cards, giant checkers, and a few board games make for a low-key evening this Sunday, December 4 (7-8:30 p.m.). MC Justin Bromhead will fill the air with amazing jokes and share about upcoming events in our ministry.

Combined HS/MS Summer Mission. The combined mission project will be July 9-14. We will travel to Charlotte, NC to serve with Travis and Jessica Jones (2010- SMP Niagara Falls Mission Participants) with Missionary Athletes International. High school students interested in participating should contact Nicole for details. She will be able to chat about the project as well as give you the application, references request forms, and interview schedule.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Psalm 1: Happy Much?

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” (Psalm 1:1)

I don’t like the word “happy.” It’s a slippery word for a slippery emotion. As soon as I start evaluating the level of my happiness, it starts fading for some reason. On the other hand, sometimes I’m hit with a wide-eyed awareness: “I’m really happy right now.

Some scholars say the world “blessed” that we’re going to talk about this week as we study Psalm 1 together means “happy,” but it’s more than that. It means something like “happy because God likes me and He’s taking care of me.” As a Christian, I can always say I’m being blessed by God even as my mood rises and falls with my hunger level.

In other words, blessing can be an emotion, but it’s backed by rock solid evidence of God’s goodness. Any good things or feelings I can point to in my life absolutely come from Him. And when I start counting all the good things I have and feel in a week because of Jesus, it’s easy to call myself blessed. Maybe even happy. Definitely joyful.

What David wants us to hear this week, though, is that blessing come only on the path of God. More tomorrow.

Think: How often do you apply this words to yourself: blessed, happy, joyful? What’s the difference between feeling blessed or happy and knowing for a fact that you are blessed by God?

Pray: Thank God for all the ways He has blessed you with good gifts and good emotions in your life. Ask Him to help you to be willing to walk in His way all of the time

Do: Read all of the way through Psalm 1 as a preparation for the rest of our study this week.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

The Muppets [Christianity Today]
Hugo [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
In ancient Japan, public contests were held to see who could fart the loudest and longest!

HS Ministry Updates: Retreat pics, Coffee House, Missions

sharon — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:05:33 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 11.14.11

So…on 11/11/11 at 11:11 p.m. we were hanging out with our church family on the high School Fall Retreat! The blessings of the weekend will last a lifetime. When you have a moment, check out the pictures on our facebook page!

Announcements….

BackDoor Coffee House. The coffee house offers high school students a place to hang out and connect with one another. Live music, coffees, sodas, and snacks along with cards, giant checkers, and a few board games make for a low-key evening this Sunday, November 20 (7-8:30 p.m.). MC Justin Bromhead will fill the air with amazing jokes and share about upcoming events in our ministry.

Combined HS/MS Summer Mission. The combined mission project will be July 9-14. We will travel to Charlotte, NC to serve with Travis and Jessica Jones (2010- SMP Niagara Falls Mission Participants) with Missionary Athletes International. The interest meeting for high school students and parents is at the BackDoor Coffee House on Sunday, November 20 (7:00 pm). Nicole will share the details as well as hand out the applications, references requests and interview schedule.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Dead Man Walking: Your Friend is Sick

“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ ” (John 11:1-3)

Spoiler alert! To really get all the heavy stuff in the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, you’ve got to know the ending before you start. But it’s right there in the name of the story, so it’s not a huge surprise. And you’ve probably heard it once or twice anyway.

Still, we’re going to get to know it better. And the first thing we should get is this: Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. Okay, yes, Jesus loves everyone. But He was friends with this family. He often stayed at their place when He was in town. He seems to have liked them a lot.

And they liked Jesus, too. They knew about His miracles. They believed He was who He said He was. They knew He could heal sick people at will. They probably expected Him to come and save their brother — before he died.

Think: If you are a Christian, you have a close relationship with God because you are “in Christ.” Do you ever expect Him to answer your prayers in specific ways? Is it wrong to expect God to respond according to our desires? Why or why not?

Pray: Thank God for Jesus’ relationship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Ask Him to help you to understand Him better through studying this story during the next week or so.

Do: John mentions Mary as one who washed Jesus feet with expensive perfume and her hair. Read that story in John 12:1-11.
Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

J. Edgar [Christianity Today]
Jack and Jill [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
Nose prints are used to identify dogs, just like humans use fingerprints!

HS Updates: Fall Retreat, BackDoor Coffee House, Missions!

sharon — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:04:57 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 11.07.11

Fall Retreat!! Are you packed?? Meet at CPC on Friday (November 11) at 7:00 p.m. We will load up and head out as soon as possible. Please bring your $$ for paintball or horseback riding when you check-in.

Parents of Fall Retreat Participants. Please join me at 12:30 p.m. at CPC on Sunday, November 13. I look forward to sharing about the talks, discussions and insights from the weekend with your sons and daughters!

BackDoor Coffee House. The coffee house offers high school students a place to hang out and connect with one another. Live music, coffees, sodas, and snacks along with cards, giant checkers, and a few board games make for a low-key evening on Sunday, November 20 (7-8:30 p.m.). MC Justin Bromhead will fill the air with amazing jokes and share about upcoming events in our ministry.

We will hold training meetings on nine Sunday nights beginning in January (7-8:30 pm). Student and adult team members need to participate in the training meetings. Fundraisers begin with White House Ornament sales. We are signing up for shifts through Volunteer Spot. Please sign up for two shifts (need student and their parent). We begin selling at Manassas Mall this Friday, November 11. All team members need to participate in each fundraiser and serve on one of the fundraiser Planning Teams.

Combined HS/MS Summer Mission. The combined mission project will be July 9-14. We will travel to Charlotte, NC to serve with Travis and Jessica Jones (2010- SMP Niagara Falls Mission Participants) with Missionary Athletes International. The interest meeting for high school students and parents is at the BackDoor Coffee House on Sunday, November 20 (7:00 pm). Nicole will share the details as well as hand out the applications, references requests and interview schedule.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Identify: Who Will You Be?

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

Does it feel chilly in here to you? After taking off our old selves last week — along with all the sins, practices, and labels attached to a life without Christ — we should put something else on. It’s going to get drafty.

Our new threads — custom-made for those in Christ — come with some new tags: “chosen,” “holy,” “dearly loved.” That describes how God thinks of us. Really! Right now!

And He wants us to wear these:

Compassion: Working at feeling for people who are hurting or happy. Kindness: Doing something about how we feel for each other. Humility: Making our idea of ourselves lower than our idea of God. Gentleness: Making ourselves lower, even, than each other. Patience: Agreeing to wait on God and others even when I’ve got important things to do or say.

Trust me; these will look great on you.

Think: Of these five character qualities for those who live in Christ, which comes most naturally to you? Which is hardest for you to “put on” and keep on?

Pray: Ask God to help you to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Do: Write down those five words on five separate 3 x 5 cards or post-it notes and put them up in five different places in your world where you’ll have to look at them for the next week or so.
Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Tower Heist [Christianity Today]
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9000 years old!

HS Updates: International Missions, Fall Retreat, Ornaments

sharon — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:53:56 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 10.31.11

International Summer Mission Teams. If you missed last night’s meeting and have not registered for one of the teams, please contact me as soon as possible. The Guatemala team is full, but the Yucatan (June 30-July 7) and Zambia (July 17-31) teams have space available. Info sheets and applications are on our website.

At last night’s meeting, we reviewed training dates and fundraisers. We will hold training meetings on nine Sunday nights beginning in January (7-8:30 pm). Student and adult team members need to participate in the training meetings. Fundraisers begin with White House Ornament sales. The link to the Volunteer Spot for shift sign-ups will be posted in the next day or so. We begin selling at Manassas Mall on Friday, November 11. All team members need to participate in each fundraiser and serve on one of the fundraiser Planning Teams.

Community Service Hours Opportunity. We are clearing out one of our huge sheds, building shelves and refilling it. We need quite a few strong folks, organizers and someone willing to say”throw that out!”. If you can help, contact Don@centrevillepres.com or stop by the connection center to sign up. We will make sure you don’t go hungry! Join us on Saturday November 5 from 9:30am-2pm at CPC.

Fall Retreat!! A few spaces are still available for our weekend in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, November 11-13. Join us to get away and relax with one another. The details and fliers are loaded here on the website!

SAVE THE DATE! The combined HS/MS summer mission project will be July 9-14. We will travel to Charlotte, NC to serve with Travis and Jessica Jones (2010- SMP Niagara Falls Mission Participants) with Missionary Athletes International. Our interest meeting will be held on December 9 (6:00 pm). Please attend if you plan on joining the team. Details will be posted on the website soon.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Identify: Who Will You Be?

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)

Are you in the mood for a do-over? Want to start again? You can. And there will never be a better time.

The only thing holding us back is this: We’re still us, right? We don’t magically get smarter, faster, tougher, or cooler. Aren’t we doomed to repeat the version of ourselves we presented to the world last time? In Colossians 3, Paul says, “nope.” At least, that’s what he says to Christians.

Believers have this superpower we don’t talk about much. Because of the Holy Spirit, we can say “no” to sin, “yes” to powerful new choices, and we can become wildly different people. In fact, we can exchange our identity for a brand new one. Starting right now.

How? Step one is found in verse one above: Make a new goal. Forget aiming for a certain GPA or spot on the team or rank in the social food chain. Paul says to aim to live in the identity of Jesus Christ Himself. And that means setting your life in the direction of heaven. More tomorrow.

Think: Do you get pumped about all the potential in a new beginning? Would you like to be as much like Jesus as possible?

Pray: Ask God to help you to set the whole direction of your life toward Jesus and heaven. And then ask Him to overwhelm you with the desire to keep moving that way.

Do: If you’ve got a few minutes, let Paul’s description of Jesus true identity in Colossians 1:15-19 blow your mind.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

I n Time [Christianity Today]
Anonymous [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
Nearly 10% of American households dress their pets in Halloween costumes.

NEW HS Summer Mission, Fall Retreat, Twitter anyone??

sharon — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:39:01 +0000

High School Ministry Updates 10.24.11

Especially for parents…yesterday’s HomeFront discussion focused on how we as families can encourage one another. Read the students’ responses here!

NEW: We’ve added a Summer Missions opportunity! In addition to serving in Guatemala and Zambia (details on our website), we will also send a team to the Yucatan peninsula (Mexico) to serve with Son Servants (June 30-July 7). Our team will do construction and host a children’s camp. The cost is comparable to the Guatemala team. The information sheet and application will be posted soon.

2012 HS Summer Missions Meeting. Sunday, October 30 (6:30 – 7:30 p.m.) is a meeting for all of the high school international mission teams. Each participant and one parent need to attend the meeting. Application and deposit are due by the meeting. Fundraisers and training schedules will be decided. Visit the Student pages on the CPC website for the applications.

HomeFront will follow the international mission meeting (7:30 – 8:30 p.m.)! All high school students are invited to join us to close out the weekend. HomeFront offers a place to talk, play, worship, and deepen friendships.

Fall Retreat!! Space is still available for our weekend in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, November 11-13. Join us to get away and relax with one another. The details and fliers are loaded here on the website!

Mission Experience for your Family. Sign up for the Spring Break mission team to West Virginia! The intergenerational team will serve in Philippi April 1-5. More info on the website, flier outside the Student Min office or contact Marci Swanson (mltdswan@comcast.com).

Do you Tweet? Follow us on twitter @CPCStudent for event updates, weather changes, retreat check-ins, and more. Then “like” the CPC High School facebook page for even more details!

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
The Ten: Why These Commands Matter

“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:1-3)

Why are the Ten Commandments so important to Christians? After all, they are the first part of the Law of Moses, and Jesus fulfilled that Law. Believers in Jesus are saved by grace, not by keeping the “ten words” of God to the Israelites.

But wait! Think about this for a minute. Is the New Testament “Christian” God different from the God of Israel? Not at all. God is God, and He does not change. More: Nine of the big ten in Exodus 20 are completely restated and reinforced by the inspired writers of the New Testament.

Maybe most importantly: God came before His chosen people and gave them these ten commands as the introduction to everything else He would tell them to do. These ten rules for living tells us an enormous amount about what our God is like, what He values, what He wants from us.

Number 1: He want to be your only god.

Think: What value do you place on the Ten Commandments? Can you put too much emphasis on them? Can you put too little?

Pray: Thank God for giving these ten words to His people Israel and for revealing them to you. Ask Him to help you to never put any kind of god — or anything else — in His place in your life.

Do: Read through Exodus 20:1-21 to get ready to think about the Ten Commandments this week.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

The Three Musketeers [Christianity Today]
Paranormal Activity 3 [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food, that’s the weight of about 6 elephants!

Hassle-Free Home Life

sharon — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:00:43 +0000

Last night’s HomeFront provided time to talk about family and parents with our high school students. Ruth’s decree to her mother-in-law Naomi gave us the basis for our discussion: “Where you do I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Your sons and daughters brainstormed ways to bring this text to life amidst our own families…

“Where you go I’ll go” Places we can go to be together: to the lake, get ice cream, movie night at home, serve at the Lamb Center, eat out, ski and snowboard, the beach, set aside a day to just be together.

“Where you stay I’ll stay” Things I can do to help my family get along at home include: talk and listen better, do the dishes (and other chores) and not complain when asked to help out, don’t argue, try to understand each other, be nice to each other, do homework when asked to.

“Your people will be my people” What my parents and I can do help accept each other’s friendships include: try to talk with friends, make time for everyone to have ‘friend time’, encourage friendships, not complain about them, encourage parents to go out with their friends, share experiences with each others’ friends.

“Your God will be my God” Ways my parents and I can support each others’ faith include praying for one another, sharing prayer requests, do devotions together, go to church together, hold each other accountable for reading the Bible daily, have a Christian jamfest!

Thank you CPC families for sharing your teens! They are an amazingly insightful group. The challenge is ours and theirs… the students will be seeking to uphold their ways to encourage the family. Can we parents also do the same? :-)

~Sharon Hoover

-Director of Student Ministry

Fall Retreat, Summer Missions, HomeFront

sharon — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:38:04 +0000

High School Ministry Updates

10.17.11

Pastor Rob’s message at yesterday’s worship service offered valuable insights to parenting. If you want to hear it again or if you missed it, it’s already loaded on the website. His words provide wisdom and encouragement as we seek to guide our children into adulthood.

Announcements

HomeFront. Connecting with church family outside of Sunday morning is important. This week’s high school large group gathering offers the space to talk, play, worship, and deepen our friendships. Bring your friends as we wrap up the weekend and launch into the new week together (October 23, 7-8:30 p.m.).

Fall Retreat!! Early bird $90 registration concludes this week…October 23. We are returning to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, November 11-13. Join us to get away and relax with one another. The details and fliers are loaded here on the website!

2012 High School Summer Missions. Sunday, October 30 (6:30 – 7:30 p.m.) is a meeting for the high school international mission teams to Guatemala and Zambia. Each participant and one parent needs to attend the meeting. Application and deposit are due by the meeting. Visit the Student pages on the CPC website for the details and applications.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Romans 8: The Spirit Groans

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26)

Last week’s devo was a bit of down — but honest — note: We will experience frustration and pain until the Day that we finally stand in God’s presence in eternity. For now, we wait and hope.

But we do not wait alone. And we do not struggle on in our own puny weakness. Nothing is the same as it was before we knew Jesus. We’ll keep reading Romans 8 this week and notice how God has turned our lives inside out, how He provides everything we need as we look forward to the Day.

For starters, the Spirit talks to the Father for us. All of creation groans. We groan. And the Spirit groans for us, making the case for us, making up for the fact that we don’t know the words or how to say them. It’s as if God has installed Himself in our hearts to send Himself messages from us about exactly what we need. (Kind of.)

Think: Have you ever felt frustrated because you didn’t know how to pray, what to say to God about your circumstances? Does knowing that the Spirit intercedes for us in those moments help?

Pray: Thank God that the Spirit intercedes for you with groans that words can’t express, even when you don’t how to pray.

Do: Pay attention to your prayers this week and believe that when you run out of the right words the Spirit is communicating exactly the right things to God.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Footloose [Christianity Today]
The Big Year [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
More Monopoly money is printed in a year, than real money printed throughout the world.

HomeFront this Sunday!

sharon — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:49:55 +0000

High School Updates

10.11.11

Announcements

HomeFront. This Sunday kicks off our high school large group gathering! Join us on October 16 (7-8:30 p.m.) as we meet to talk, play, worship, and deepen our friendships. Bring your friends as we wrap up the weekend and launch into the new week together!

2012 High School Summer Missions. Our teams will serve in Guatemala and Zambia. Dates, costs, applications, fundraising and more details are on our website. Please let contact me if you have any questions! Applications are due by October 30.

Fall Retreat!! Early bird registration concludes October 23. We are returning to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, November 11-13. Join us to get away and relax with one another. The details and fliers are loaded here on the website! NOTE: Paintball is $25 not $20 as listed.

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
Romans 8: Call Him Father

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ ” (Romans 8:15)

What does it mean to you to be God’s child, to be able to legitimately call Him your father? Too often, Christianity is presented as a contract between a person and God: “Just sign here, here, and here, and all your sins will be forgiven and you can go to heaven when you die.”

It’s much more personal to God than that. He’s not selling something we need. He’s not looking for buyers. He’s looking for children. He has given us the “Spirit of sonship,” which could also be read as the “Spirit of adoption.” He’s looking to fill His family with lost kids by making them His kids.

Aside from Jesus, God has no biological children. Some of us may have grown up in the church nursery, but we were not born into God’s family just by being born. We had to be adopted to become a child of God. And once we were in the family, He gave us the right to call Him “daddy.”

Think: What does it mean to you to know that God is your Father, that He has adopted you into His family? What is the value of that? Can Christianity work without the idea of God as Father?

Pray: Thank God for giving you the spirit of adoption and inviting you to call Him “Abba, Father.”

Do: Read this great quote from J.I. Packer’s book Knowing God:

If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all. For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. “Father” is the Christian name for God. … Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption. (pp. 201—202)

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Real Steel [Christianity Today]
The Ides of March [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness
More than ten people a year are killed by vending machines.

Fall Retreat, Summer International Missions, Life Groups

sharon — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:35:34 +0000

High School Updates

10.3.11

Thank you to the cast and crew of Weaver!! The musical truly offered a show with many powerful messages. We will be exploring relationships from all angles in the coming weeks of Life Groups and our evening ministries… with God, parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, and even church family.

Announcements

Fall Retreat registration is OPEN!! We are returning to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, November 11-13. Join us to get away and relax with one another. The details and fliers are loaded here on the website!

HomeFront. Next NEXT week kicks off our high school large group gathering! Join us on Sunday, October 16 (7-8:30 p.m.) as we meet to talk, play, worship, and deepen our friendships. Bring your friends as we wrap up the weekend and launch into the new week together!

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Why We Sin: Did God Really Say?

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ “(Genesis 3:1)

For the next week or so, we’re going to live in the excruciating moments leading up to the first sinful human action ever. What we’ll be looking for are clues to why we’re all such natural born suckers when it comes to sin and temptation—why we’re so easy to lie to, so willing to participate with the Liar in our own destruction.

Here’s the first clue: The Liar invites us into a conversation with temptation with an obvious lie. (He’s a liar, remember.) Of course, God did not say Adam and Eve couldn’t eat from any of the trees—and, of course, Eve knew that. Here’s what God did say: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (2:16-17)

This would be like starting a temptation about sex with, “Did God really say you should never hold hands with someone?” Or starting a temptation to disobey your parents with, “Did God really say you have to obey every adult who tells you to do something?” Our response is likely to be quick, corrective, and curious. And before you know it, we’re in a dangerous conversation about exactly where the line of sin is.

Think: Have you ever been lured into unhelpful thinking by your reaction to an obvious distortion of the truth? What can we do to make sure we’re not being deceived when confronted with a big idea about God’s Word that is obviously wrong?

Pray: Ask God to help you to overcome temptation to sin. Ask Him to help you to be aware and careful when someone uses an obvious lie to get you engaged in thinking about a sin that tempts you.

Do: As we work through Eve’s temptation this week, notice in your own life what kinds of temptation are most effective at tripping you up.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Machine Gun Preacher [Christianity Today]
5 0/50 [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
If you took a standard slinky and stretched it out it would measure 87 feet.

Parent Seminar tonight; BackDoor Coffee House Returns Sunday!

sharon — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:25:31 +0000

High School Updates
9.26.11

Want to make connections between faith at church and at home? Carve out time this evening to join me at CPC for our first Beyond Parenting seminar. The “Legacy of Faith” discussions can impact your child’s spiritual foundation for a lifetime!

Announcements

Beyond Parenting Seminar Series. Our series begins this year on Monday, September 26 (7:00 – 9:00 p.m.) with “Legacy of Faith.” More details here on our website. The foundation of faith remains central to one’s identity. Parents play a critical role in laying the groundwork of developing life-long followers of Christ. Research findings also report that children with a solid faith and supportive church community succeed better emotionally, socially, and academically. This seminar will equip parents to discuss matters of faith with their children, to connect the spiritual dots from church to home, and to create memorable faith milestones.

Weaver! Our original musical plays this coming weekend, Friday Sept 30 – Sunday October 2. Buy your tickets online for the shows! The musical explores the challenges and the joys of relationships in our lives. It will open many topics of discussion for you and your family.

BackDoor Coffee House returns Sunday, October 2 (7-8:30 p.m.). Room 206 will transform into relaxing space for high school students! Come hang out, sip specialty coffees or sodas, listen to music, and enjoy friends.

Missions Fundraiser Concessions at the Weaver musical. If you plan to serve on one of foreign mission teams, please sign up to bring a food item or to work a shift at the concession stand. Go to Volunteer Spot to register your time/donation. Thank you!!

See You At The Pole. This Wednesday (September 28, thirty minutes before your school begins) gather with other believers at the flag pole of your school. Pray for your teachers, administrators, fellow students, and parents. Check out this national movement of prayer online!!

Blessings,

Sharon Hoover
Director of Student Ministry
www.centrevillepres.com
703-830-0098 ext. 17

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Church 1.0: The Promise is for You

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)

Let’s drop in on the first days of the church. The word “church” has a lot of different meanings to people. What we mean today is a group made up of all Christians everywhere—and also the members of that group that come together to “do church” in a certain town or neighborhood.

Today’s passage is the invitation from Peter at the end of his sermon just after the Holy Spirit had come to fill up all the believers in Jesus. This is after Jesus’ resurrection and after He had gone back up into heaven. The arrival of the Spirit drew a huge crowd because it was loud and it involved supernatural sights (“fire tongues” above people’s heads) and sounds (people speaking fluently in languages they didn’t know so all could understand).

Peter’s testimony was that this display of spiritual power was evidence that Jesus—the one that had just been crucified and resurrected—is “both Christ and Lord.” Convicted, the people wanted to know what they could do. Today’s verse was Peter’s answer—and 2,000 years later we still offer Jesus as the answer to all who want to know what to do to be forgiven for their sins and receive the gift of Holy Spirit themselves.

Think: How would you put into your own words the basic message we, the church, hold out to everyone who does not yet know Jesus as “Christ and Lord”?

Pray: If you’re a Christian, thank God for forgiving your sins through your faith in Jesus and for giving you the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Do: Read Acts 2 to catch the entire story of this amazing day known as Pentecost.

Get More Daily Devotionals at PlanetWisdom.com.

2. Surf Report

Moneyball [Christianity Today]
Dolphin Tale [Plugged In]

3. Random Randomness:
There are more plastic flamingos in the U.S, than real ones!