May 31, 2018
Last night we started by spending some good time in review with one and other about what we had been learning in the book of Ephesians. We watched the Bible Project video, which gave us a good overview, then split into groups to summarize each chapter of the book. It was a good way to finish, and recap our four months in Ephesians together. Then, one group of students split off upstairs to study Psalm 5 with Emily and Leanne, while the rest of us stayed down stairs and connected over some fun and games. It was a really good night overall.
Next week, we’ll start a short, two-week series on Purity and Dating. See the additional note below for an overview and disclaimer about what we will be talking about.
As far as Summer goes, EBC has typically taken the months of July and August off of Youth Group for the Summer. Although we did this last year, I’m increasingly convinced that Summer is a prime opportunity to connect with the students that typically have sports/extra curriculars during the school year. That being said, most Wednesday nights throughout the Summer, we will continue to meet as a youth group. Our focus for the Summer will be to: 1.) Learn how to study the Bible for ourselves and 2.) Connect with each other on a deeper level. We’ll be doing a more ‘informal’ bible study, where we’ll teach Bible study methods to the students, and put them into practice.
2-Week Purity and Dating Series:
The content will be focused on Lust, Dating, and Purity. I realize that these are heavy topics, especially for middle school aged students, but I believe that with the current access to social media sites, the decreasing age of exposure to pornography, and the growing sexual identity crisis in schools, it’s so very important for our students to be grounded biblically on how to think about these issues.
Logistically, we’ll be splitting up the guys and the girls to have two separate teaching times, one tailored for the gentlemen, and one for the ladies.
In the guys group, on June 6, we’ll discuss the topic of lust, hitting the topic of pornography head on. On June 13, we’ll cover the topic of dating and relationships, particularly focusing on the end goal, being equally yoked, and the practical wisdom of waiting-to-date.
In the ladies group, on June 6, Emily will cover lust, body image and modesty. Specifically, she wants to focus on “how does it affect me, and why is it wrong?” in terms of lust, and to provide insight on how social media affects our ideas of body image and modesty for Christians. The week after, on June 13, the ladies will cover dating and relationships, focusing again on the end goal of it, being equally yoked, and the practical wisdom of waiting-to-date.
I realize that for some parents, this kind of material may seem pre-mature for your students, which is why I wanted to give you a heads up. Of course, all of it will be presented from a biblical standpoint, with the utmost care and respect for what’s being shared. The last thing I want to do is make anyone feel uncomfortable or awkward. More than anything, I see these topics as crucial for our students to think about, and I want them to have solid footing to stand on in regards to them. That said, if you choose to hold your student(s) back from joining us for this content, I understand.
If you have any questions for me, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email or phone.
Categories: Youth Night Updates, Youth Purity