Can you believe that we are already done for 2018? I was reflecting on all the things that have happened this year, not only within our youth group but our church as a whole and I felt like we needed to end the year on that note. So this past Sunday we reflected on the things that God did in our lives, and the places we hope to do better in 2018. 

For me personally, 2018 wasn't the kindest year. FRCZ lost some good people, Dynelle was forced to transition jobs, and family drama reared its ugly head again. All of that sounds really bad, but God has already been faithful in showing me where I can learn and grow from those things. In the midst of all the bad, First now has Jordan and Erica. Our youth group continues to grow in amazing ways both spiritually and numerically. Dynelle's transition has allowed her to be more active in the youth group here. Hopefully, as you reflect on the things you experienced this year, you can see God's hand as well. We tend to have very short views and fail to praise God in the good times, much less the bad. I can't wait to be a part of what God does here in 2019, and I'm excited that you all are coming with me :) 

Impact was a celebration of this year as well, and we had a great time playing an apples to apples-esque game made by fail army! Thanks for another fantastic year, and have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Good morning friends! 

This past Sunday, we had our first "normal" Sunday school in a while! We spent some time talking about Advent and why its important. We live in a time where it is very easy to be distracted around Christmas, and its not uncommon to forget what we are actually celebrating. I find myself getting frustrated every time I have to go to Meijer because everyone and their entire extended family feels the need to be there at the exact same time. I tend to worry about getting the "right" presents, and focusing on the fanfare surrounding the season. Advent is a time of remembering, but it also is a time of great expectation. We look back on Christ's first coming, but even more importantly, we are looking forward with great expectation to His second. 

IMPACT was a wrap up of our conversations on Job, and we talked a little bit about Melchizedek. We are hoping to keep talking about OT characters and why they are important to us till the end of the year :) 

As usual, I'm thankful that you are interested in what we are doing! 

Good morning! 

This past Sunday, I'm sure your students were thrilled to be able to attend our annual budget meeting! As much as they hate it, I truly believe that having them there and helping them be confident in giving input will make them better church members in the future. They had some realizations that were well beyond their years and seeing them engage despite the bad feelings was very encouraging. 

Sunday evening, we began reading through the book of Job. Over the past few weeks we have had a lot of conversation surrounding Job and his experiences. Some of our deeper conversations about theology have centered on God's goodness in relation to Job especially. Over the next few weeks we are going to take a look at Jobs life, read all 42 chapters, and dive into what that story means for us in a modern context. I would encourage you to ask your students if the conversations we are having are bringing up any questions in their minds. Many of our students are interested in predestination and God's goodness in light of the problem of sin in the world. As usual, we are hoping to tackle that with as much truth and grace as possible, while understanding that some things in the Bible just don't have easy answers. 

Thanks for checking in on us, and have a great week!