ThePARENTLink

The
PARENTLink
July 2011
helping parents better connect with their teens
Memory Verse
“Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what
it says.”
James 1:22 (NIV)
Bring Out the Hero Lurking
Inside Your Teenager
The Bible is filled with unlikely heroes. A young shepherd boy and a ragtag
bunch of disciples are just some of the people God used to fulfill his plans. God
doesn’t have a strict set of requirements or an age limit for service. Instead, he
uses young people in mighty ways to minister and serve.
Twins Alex and Brett Harris are two young heroes who set out to spark an
adolescent “rebelution.” At age 18, they wrote Do Hard Things (Multnomah
Books), which challenges teenagers to fulfill their potential and defy the
world’s low expectations of them. Although the world views teenagers as
irresponsible and adolescence as a vacation, “God calls us to be exemplary,”
Alex says, adding that adolescence is really a “launching pad for life.”
The Harris brothers challenge teens to intentionally do five kinds of things:
1. Things that are outside your comfort zone.
2. Things that go beyond what is expected or required.
3. Things that are too big to accomplish alone.
Practical Help
.02
Tips, statistics, and
discussion questions to help
you connect with your teenagers
Going Deeper
Insight for parents on how to
use movies to discuss heroism
Media Spotlight
.03
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Musicians Limp Bizkit and
Blindside, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows 2, plus video game snapshots
4. Things that don’t earn an immediate payoff.
DGYM Calendar
5. Things that challenge the cultural norm.
Enjoy the beautiful summer
months by getting involved in all
of our youth ministry activities
How can you encourage your teenagers to become heroes for God?
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THE VIEW
TIPS

Every week, nearly 6 in every 10 teenagers is engaged
in some kind of group spiritual activity. But the percentage of teenagers who are inclined to have conversations with non-Christians about their faith decreased
from 63% to 45% between 1997 and 2009. (barna.org)

In a survey of nearly 20,000 Christian teenagers, kids
listed their top need as help with building a positive
relationship with God. Number six on the list was
needing help with how to share faith with friends
and others.
(Group Magazine)
Not all superheroes have abs of
steel. The small-group resource
Guy Talk, Girl Talk (Simply Youth
Ministry) offers these insights
into real-life heroes:
Strength comes from recognizing
God, the source of strength. Heroes
shouldn’t rely on themselves; only
God is omnipotent, or all-powerful.
(Isaiah 50:2)
Strength comes from weakness.
This seeming contradiction shows
that when you recognize that you
need help, you become willing to rely
on God’s strength.
(2 Corinthians 12:10)
Hard times build strength. God
uses troubles and challenges to test
and grow our faith. During tough
times, we learn to trust God with
our weakest moments so that other
people can see his strength.
(James 1:2-4)
Real-life heroes recognize that
they’re significant enough to be part
of God’s plan. God doesn’t need our
help, but he does use us. He created
each of us with value, and that means
we’re equipped to fit perfectly into
what he wants to accomplish here
on earth.
(Jeremiah 29:11)
FOR DISCUSSION

How might your definition of a hero differ from
your teenager’s definition? From God’s definition?

What “hard things” have you done as a parent?
Have you shared the experiences with your kids?

Who has been a hero in your life, and how? In
what ways can you be a hero for God, your family,
and other people?
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THE PARENT LINK | JULY 2011
GOING DEEPER: Expert Insight for Parents
During summer, theaters are filled with action flicks and heroes - two things that attract
teenage fans. Use the blockbuster-movie season to convey messages about heroism:



Watch a new flick together and turn the
post-movie conversation toward spiritual
things. With the final “Harry Potter” installment, for example, discuss the battle
between good and evil - and which side
wins out.
Write the screenplay or storyboard of
your life. Answer these questions: If your
life story were turned into a movie, what
would be the key scenes? Who are the
main characters? What role does/has/is
God playing in your movie? What herolike qualities do you have? What qualities
do you need? What is the next scene after the one you’re currently in? How does
the story end?
Plan a movie night. Let teenagers invite
friends over for a movie “theme” night.
For example, rent Soul Surfer (due out on
DVD in August) and hold a beach-themed
get-together. Afterward, talk about how
Bethany Hamilton faced her fears,
showed heroism, and trusted in God’s
plan for her life.

Stay young at heart. If your kids are
animation fans, enjoy a matinee show
together. After watching Kung Fu Panda 2,
for example, discuss the spiritual battles
Christians wage, the difference between
fighting offensively or defensively, and
how the armor of God protects us.

Enjoy some “oldies.” Dig up copies of
classics such as The Ten Commandments,
Ben-Hur, and Chariots of Fire. Then share
thoughts about the heroes and deeds
each film portrays.
Resource
In 99 Thoughts on Hearing
God’s Call (Simply Youth
Ministry), author Johnny Scott
explores how teenagers can
live extraordinary lives for
God. Through explorations of
the lives of biblical heroes,
teenagers will discover how
to go on their own spiritual
adventures.
63 pages, Group Publishing (April 2011)
$5.99 on Amazon
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THE PARENT LINK | JULY 2011
This page is designed to inform and educate parents and isn’t meant to endorse any music or movie.
Our prayer is that you will make informed decisions on what your kids listen to, watch, and play.
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
MAINSTREAM MUSIC
POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC
MOVIES
Movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2
Genre: Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
LIMP BIZKIT
BLINDSIDE
Background: Since 1995, these
rockers have sold an estimated
33 million albums. Their metal/
hardcore/rap sound is similar
to that of Korn. Be warned that
their lyrics are crude; the song
“Hot Dog” uses the f-word 48
times, for example.
Background: These Swedish
rockers have achieved some
serious crossover success.
They’ve toured with heavyweights such as Linkin Park and
P.O.D., and, despite years between releases, their new albums are always highly anticipated.
Albums: Gold Cobra (2011),
The Unquestionable Truth, Part
1 (2005), Chocolate Starfish and
the Hot Dog Flavored Water
(2000)
What Limp Bizkit Says: The
band had broken up but decided to get back together because “We decided we were
more disgusted and bored with
the state of heavy popular music than we are [with] each
other.”
Explore: If you must, check out
this video for “Break Stuff,”
which features guest stars and
teenagers lip-syncing to a censored version. It will give you a
pretty clear idea of what Limp
Bizkit is all about: http://
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ZpUYjpKg9KY.
VIDEO GAMES
Albums: With Shivering Hearts
We Wait (2011), About a Burning Fire (2004), Silence (2002)
What Blindside Says: Drummer
Simon Grenehed says, “When
we started, we were just having
fun. We’re still having a lot of
fun together, but you just want
to dig deeper…. For us it’s
always been about trying to get
a positive message out there,
some kind of hope. That’s the
main purpose in both writing
music and playing live. That’s
the thing that we always come
back to.”
Synopsis: The epic series comes to a
close as the forces of good and evil face
off for the final time. It will take great
personal sacrifice to defeat Lord Voldemort - maybe the ultimate sacrifice.
Our Take: Some parents are put off by
the magic inherent to the “Harry Potter” series, but if you can get past that,
it’s really a story about the overcoming
power of love and friendship. Our
youth group will have a Movie Night on
Friday, July 15th, to go see it.
Explore: You can hear the
entire new album at the band’s
website:
www.withshiveringheartswewa
it.com.
Child of Eden (Xbox 360) This innovative game can be played with a regular controller, but it
truly shines when you use the Xbox Kinect full-body controller. The incredibly vibrant and
colorful graphics—paired with upbeat dance music—make this a title the whole family
should be able to play. Rated Everyone 10+ for Mild Fantasy Violence.
El Shaddai - Ascension of the Metatron (PS3, Xbox 360) This stylish hack-n-slash game is rife
with beautiful backdrops, weir color filters, and an angel with God on his cellphone speed dial.
It features a sort of quasi-biblical, semi-religious story in which the main character, Enoch, is
tasked with hunting down fallen angels in order to prevent God from causing the Great Flood.
Rated Teen for Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes.
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THE PARENT LINK | JULY 2011
Outbreak: Downtown
NEWS and NOTES
Our teens are encouraged to join our efforts in reaching out to the people in our downtown area this summer.
We’ll be spending time playing and hanging out at the park at Coeur d’Alene Lake in hopes of meeting new
friends and shining the light of Christ. Step out of your comfort zone this summer and let God use you. A look for
even more ways of getting involved by checking out “180 Living” on Facebook.
The Place
Our girls only group will still be going strong through the summer months! Join Kara every Thursday at 5:30pm in
the Youth Barn for a great time of Bible study and fellowship… all without the boys!
Wild Side
All 6th-12th grade guys are invited to join us on most Monday afternoons during the summer for some great outdoor fun. We’ll be doing things like boating at the lake, hiking, biking, and playing ultimate Frisbee… basically fun
stuff that you can invite your friends to. Listen up in class each week or check our Facebook page for details.
Bike Rodeo
Our Children’s Ministry is hosting a bike rodeo for our young kids and their friends. We need our teens to come
early to help rope off some sections of the parking lot and maybe make an obstacle course, then stay to help corral all the kids and keep them safe.
Movie Night
All 6th-12th graders (and parents!) are invited to join us for a night out! We’ll watch The Deathly Hallows Part 1
at the church building, go eat dinner together, then head to the theater for the final Harry Potter episode. Be
sure to sign up on the list on the youth bulletin board to get your ticket in advance because opening weekend
will more than likely be pretty packed.
CreationFest
Unfortunately if you didn’t sign up to join us for CreationFest it’s too late. However, if you DID sign up to join us
you will be getting a letter in the mail with all the details of our trip.
Baseball Night
All 6th - 12th graders (and parents and families!) are invited to join us for an evening at the ballpark to watch the
Spokane Indians play ball. Sign up early to reserve your $1 ticket price and bring some extra money for $1 food
and drinks! We’ll be leaving the church parking lot at 5:00pm and probably returning home around 11:00pm.