Junior High Winter Retreat Post Trip

Parents, THANK YOU!  Thank  you so much for all the sacrifices you make for your child.  Thank you for the difference you are making in their life.   With that being said, I AM EXCITED!!!! This weekend is going be INCREDIBLE!  Whether your kid(s) acknowledge it or not, they are going to be challenged this weekend.  In a big or small way, they are going to come face-to-face with something in their lives that needs to adjusting.  You all will have an awesome opportunity to talk with your kid(s) following the retreat.  What happens at home is more important than what happens at church. (please read that again)  THESE MOMENTS ARE HUGE!  You have such a great opportunity to ask them about their experience.  Please remember to make this time sincere and encouraging, not something Luke made you do or make them feel interrogated.  Yet, these are the moments where you can ask them deeper questions and get them to process what they just experienced and how they have grown.  Plus, this will be a great first step to taking this home with them.  Pick a few of these questions or just have them in the back of your head for conversation with your teen(s). After the Winter Retreat Questions: ·  Describe your top highlights from this weekend. ·  Where did God speak to you this weekend? (What did God reveal to you this weekend?) ·  How have your passions changed or been encouraged from this weekend?  ·  Describe something new you experienced this weekend. ·  Did you try anything that you never thought you would do?  Why do you think you tried it?  How did it turn out? ·  What stories stick out to you the most from the speaker? ·  What did you feel the speaker was trying to communicate this weekend? ·  What do you now understand that you didn’t before? (i.e. something in the Bible, what God desires of us, how I am to act/think) ·  You’ve talked about wanting to be and live differently.  What would it look like for you to live differently at school? At home? With your friends? Alone? ·  Weekends like this are great opportunities for a commitment to change, is there anything you thought about or did commit to this weekend? ·  What will you specifically do now to ensure what you gained from this weekend will create long term change? (What are specific, practical steps for change?)  ·  How can I encourage you and help keep you accountable in this?  Is there someone else who you would like to keep you accountable? ·  Is there anything I can do differently to help you? ·  How did you see God working this weekend? ·  From this weekend, what is the “next step” moving forward for you? ·  How can I be praying for you? Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can help you in any way.  Thank you for allowing me to partner with you.  The BEST is yet to come! Luke

SpringHill Camps: Winter Retreat Junior High

Middle School Parents, You are receiving an email because your son or daughter is headed off to Michigan with First Church of God for a weekend at SpringHill Camps February 24th through the 26th!  We are going to have an INCREDIBLE time!  In a matter of a weekend, students will experience new and exciting opportunities as well as be encouraged and deeply challenged.  The following is extremely valuable information. I want to update you on the pick-up & return details.  First, we will be leaving from INDIAN SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOL immediately after school in the Activities Parking Lot (once the school buses depart ~3:40pm).  I talked with Assistant Principal Michelle Urban and she said most likely the students will gather in the Carver Center as everyone else departs.  Students are to bring their Winter Retreat luggage to school and either place in the office or in Mr. Kent Longenbaugh's 6th grade classroom.  If that will not work, you can drop your child's luggage off at First Church of God's Administrative Office door (door #5) before 2:45pm on Friday, February 24th.  On Sunday, we will return to First Church of God between 5:00-6:00pm.  If you want to receive a text for a more specific arrival time, please text me your name at 260.820.0491. If you go to Churubusco Middle School, we do the same pick-up & drop off as last year.  We will meet you in the PNC Bank in Churubusco between 4:00-4:15pm on Friday and I will contact you Sunday when we are within 20 minutes from returning to the PNC Bank.   If you do not go to either ISMS or Churubusco, you can either meet at First Church of God no later than 3:00pm or meet us at Indian Springs Middle School at 3:40pm from the Activities Parking Lot (look for two American Heritage Charter Buses).  On Sunday, we will return to First Church of God between 5:00-6:00pm.  If you want to receive a text for a more specific arrival time, please text me your name at 260.820.0491. WOW!  That was a lot.  Contact me with questions. With that being said, you will be with your child leading up to this weekend and with them in the weeks following.  Therefore, I want to partner with you.  I want encourage you and assist you in any possible way.  One of the best ways I can think to assist you is to offer you some questions you can potentially ask your child before he/she goes on the trip (more questions will follow for after the trip).  Hopefully, these questions will start a discussion or create conversation between you two.   Do not feel you must sit down with your student and go through these together.  Rather, think of them as questions to ask your child in replace of the "How was your day" or "What did you do today" questions.  Choose the ones you like, all of them, or none at all.  The goal is not to get through anything, but to simply engage with your child.   The following are possible questions to ask your teen: ·  What are you most looking forward to on the Winter Retreat? Why? ·  I read that this year's Winter Retreat’s theme is En Route, what do you think that means? ·  What are you passionate about? (Why? How did you become passionate about this?) ·  Where do you want to hear from God this weekend? ·  What is on your heart & mind this week before heading on this trip? ·  What is something you have not been able to give over to God?  ·  What’s your idea of the best day ever? ·  Is there anything you want to change in your life? ·  What were some high and low points today? ·  How can I be praying for you as you are gone? Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything.  It is a pleasure to partner with you. The BEST is yet to come! Luke Diehl