February 2004     "Because teens are so busy these days, school schedules and extra-curricular activities are always competing with church activities." Here is the situation...It’s Wednesday morning, and you are frantically figuring out everyone’s schedule for the day. As you are talking with your daughter, you find out she has a school commitment and a church commitment at the same time. Since you cannot split your daughter in half (which would be nice at times), you and your daughter must decide which commitment will be fulfilled. Does this sound familiar to you? Because teens are so busy these days, school schedules and extra-curricular activities are always competing with church activities. Unfortunately, church commitments usually get the short end of the stick because school and extra-curricular activities typically come with consequences if missed. Have you ever thought that missing a church activity or Student Worship service could also have consequences as well? Student Ministries are designed to foster spiritual growth and to offer a place for your teen to connect in a safe environment. When your teen misses any student church event, they are missing out on something BIG! Please understand that pulling your student out of soccer, baseball, or cheerleading is definitely not the answer. Being involved in these great activities has proven to be a life-builder for many teens, not to mention their potential to further the Gospel by being an example in a secular environment. Parents, you must step in to help with this balance. Don't allow over-commitment to school and extra-curricular activities to rob your student's time to grow spiritually in the corporate body of Christ. Here are some questions to ask when helping your family balance school and church commitments: 1. What do you enjoy? Ask your teen what they REALLY enjoy doing at school and at church. Once they figure out what they LOVE to do, the things they like to do can be eliminated. The extra time will allow them to keep their commitments. 2. What are the conflicts? Remind your teen to check schedules and practice times before committing to another activity, whether school or church. This is hard, but talk to coaches and teachers about having practices on days that don't conflict with other church activities. 3. Do you plan to follow-through? Explain to your teen that when a commitment is made, fulfillment is expected, no matter what! This is an excellent life skill that ALL teens need to learn. How often do you (teens) get stressed? 28% - Everyday 44% - A Couple of Times a Week 17% - Once or Twice a Month 11% - Not often family.org What are teens doing with their time five or more hours a week: 31% - Time Alone 21% - Video/Computer Games 36% - Internet 35% - Chores at Home 53% - Homework/Studying 56% - Watching TV 16% - Non-school activities (including church) 60% - School activities outside classroom (University of Wisconsin)

	Take some time this month and get to know your teen! These questions are designed to give you a communication strategy and to find out what is going on in his/her life! Let's start the Q & A... 1. If you could be on any reality television show, what would it be and why? 2. If you had to choose between a school activity or a church service, which one would you honestly choose to attend and why? 3. Who in your life do you feel you can trust the most? Why? 4. How do you think you react when you get angry? How do you think we, as your parents, react when we are angry? What is one thing we can do better when tempers start to flare?		Pray that: 1. God would put in the heart of your teen the desire to meet and worship corporately with other students. 2. God would allow schedules to "work out" in a way that would accommodate both school and church activities. 3. God would give your teen opportunities to be used to further the Kingdom, whether at school, church or both. 4. God would enable you to re-evaluate your own priorities to determine that you are committing to and serving where He would have you. 5. God would help your student minister to others whenever he/she can't be at a church event. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:4-5 As parents, it is so important to remind your teen that he or she is part of a bigger picture, the body of Christ! Your teen needs to realize that she/he plays a HUGE role in how the local body works and functions. If your teen is missing, it creates a hole that only your son or daughter can fill. Your teen's spiritual development and growth in Christ should be your most important priority. For many parents, that is their heart's desire. Please remember your teen is watching you and how you value your commitment to the local body. Our personal relationship with Christ is so crucial, but our connection to a local body is very important as well.
	Did you know... * There is a direct correlation between involvement in school and church activities and good grades. 65% of students involved with church, music, dance, etc. and 68% of students involved in five or more hours of school related activities get A's and B's on their report card. (University of Wisconsin) * Involvement in church related activities is associated with lower adolescent drug and alcohol use and delays in sexual activity. (childtrends.org) * There is a connection between younger teens' church participation and more altruistic attitudes and behaviors, presumably reflecting both teaching and opportunities for participation in religious-related service activities. (childtrends.org) * According to a recent Gallup poll, 43 percent of American teens reported attending church or synagogue in the past week. (gallup.com)

	This page is designed to inform and educate parents and is not meant to endorse any product, music, or movie. Our prayer is that you will make informed decisions on what your student listens to, wears, and sees!
	Pillar was discovered by Indie label Flicker Records after they had self produced two CD's. Frontman Beckley is appreciated by fans and co-group members for his ability to "sing, rap and scream". Their debut album (9/00) was awarded the "Best Rock Band" at the 2001 Dove Awards. "Fireproof" was released in 2002 and hit the #6 spot on Billboard's Heatseeker chart with the title track perched at #1 for eleven weeks. Pillar has since signed with MCA and gone mainstream claiming, "Any doors that open, we're willing to go through. We're not going to change who we are because we are in front of more people." pillarmusic.com Which is the best video game of 2003? (Top 5) 28% - Madden NFL 2004 16% - Legend of Zelda 10% - Other 8% - Enter the Matrix 7% - Return of the King aol.com		Albums: "Kid Rock" - 2003 "Cocky" - 2001 "The History of Rock" - 2000 Background: Robert James Ritchie grew up in a suburb of Detroit where he frequently ventured into the inner city to attend rap concerts and talent shows. He was dubbed Kid Rock, although it is not clear as to whether the name came from DJing or from an apprenticeship in a local freebase cocaine business. His first record deal came from Jive Records with little success and led him to self produce from his home basement. That success led to a deal with Atlantic Records, who released his Billboard Top 5 album, "Devil Without a Cause". His musical success appears to be unstoppable at this point in his career. (sonicnet.com) Potential Controversy: "Kid Rock" contains a crude picture of himself with his middle finger in the air. Other inappropriate material is evidenced by the following: foul language used 19 times, drug and alcohol references made 15 times and over 20 lewd/sexual phrases. Parent/Teen Q&A: "There's a deeper message in all those words I say, and people never get it. If this album sells a million, that'll be the most beautiful thing in this world." Q: Based on the information above, what do you think Kid Rock's "deeper message" is? Does your life have a "deeper message" and what is it?
	Looks like comedy rules for the February releases...Here are just a few! TITLE RATING RED FLAGS GENRE STARRING Welcome To Mooseport PG-13 For some brief sexual comments and nudity Comedy Gene Hackman, Ray Romano 50 First Dates PG-13 For crude sexual humor, drug references Comedy, Romance Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Sean Astin, Rob Schneider Barbershop II PG-13 For language, sexual material, and some brief drug references Comedy Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Queen Latifah

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