Summer Mission Experiences Information

Summer Mission Experiences Parent & Student Information


Missions Promo Video:
Mission Promo Video

Current High School (9-12th Grade)

SuperStorm Sandy Mission Experience, New York City (June 29-July 6)

High School Missions Information



Current Middle School (6-8th Grade)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin (June 16-22)

Middle School Missions Information

Senior High Winter Retreat Highlights 2013

Want to see what the Winter Retreat is like?  

Here is a link to the high school's trip last weekend:  

High School Highlight Video

They Don't Need Us Anymore

NOT INVITED

By Bob Welch

I was sitting in a bathtub full of moldy sheetrock when my thirteen-year-old son asked the question. “Can you take me golfing sometime?” he said.

I had a bathroom to remodel. It was fall, and the forecast for the next week was a one-hundred percent chance of Oregon’s liquid sunshine. I wanted to say no. “Sure,” I said. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, maybe you could, like, pick up Jared and me after school on Friday and take us out to Oakway.”

“Sounds good.”

Friday came. The showers continued. Looking out the window, moldy sheetrock seemed the saner choice. But at the appointed hour, I changed from the home-improvement garb to rain-protection garb and loaded the boys’ clubs and mine in the back of the car. Ryan looked at me with a perplexed expression.

“What’s with the golf hat, Dad?” he said.

It was, I thought, a silly question, like asking a scuba diver what’s with the swim fins.

“Well, I thought we were going to play some golf.”

A peculiar pause ensued, like a phone line temporarily gone dead.

“Uh, you’re going too?” he asked.

Suddenly, it struck me like a three-iron to my gut: I hadn’t been invited.

Thirteen years of parenting flashed before my eyes. The birth. The diapers. The late-night feedings. Helping with homework. Building forts. Fixing bikes. Going to games. Going camping. Going everywhere together—my son and I.

Now I hadn’t been invited. This was it. This was the end of our relationship as I had always known it.

Why did it all have to change?

I needed to level with him. I needed to express how hurt I was. Share my gut-level feelings. Muster all the courage I could find, bite the bullet, and spill my soul.

So I said, “Me? Play? Naw. You know I am up to my ears in the remodel project.”

We drove on in silence for a few moments.

“So, how are you planning to pay for this?” I asked, my wounded ego reaching for the dagger.

“Uh, could you loan me seven dollars?”

Oh, I get it. He doesn’t want me, but he’ll gladly take my money.

“No problem,” I said.

I dropped him and Jared off, wished them luck and headed for home. My son was on his own now. Nobody there to tell him how to fade a five-iron, how to play the tricky downhiller, how to hit the sand shot. And what if there’s lightning? A runaway golf cart? A band of militant gophers?

There I was, driving away for now. Not just for now. Forever. This was it. The bond was broken. Life would never be the same.

I walked in the door. “What are you doing home?” my wife asked.

I knew it would sound like some kid who was the only one in the gang not invited to the slumber party, but maintaining my immature demeanor, I said it anyway.

“I wasn’t invited,” I replied, with a trace of snottiness.

Another one of those peculiar pauses ensued. Then my wife laughed. Out loud. At first I was hurt. Then I, too, laughed and the situation suddenly became much clearer.

I went back to the bathroom remodel and began realizing that this is what life is all about: change. This is what I’ve been preparing him for since he first looked at me and screamed in terror—not to play golf without me, but to take on the world without me. With his own set of clubs. His own game plan. His own faith.

God was remodeling my son. Adding some space here. Putting in a new feature here. In short, allowing him to become more than he could ever be if I continued to hover over him.

I went back to the bathroom remodel project. A few hours later, I heard Ryan walk in the front door. I heard him complain to his mother that his putts wouldn’t drop, that his drives were slicing and that the course was like a lake. He sounded like someone I knew. His tennis shoes squeaked with water as I heard him walk back to where I was working on the bathroom.

“Dad,” he said, dripping on the floor, “my game stinks. Can you take me golfing sometime? I need some help.”

I wanted to hug him. Rev my radial-arm saw in celebration. Shout: “I’m still needed!” I wanted to tell God, “Thanks for letting me be a part of this kid’s remodel job.”

Instead, I got one of those serious-dad looks on my face and stoically said, “Sure, Ry, anytime.”

Winter Retreat: Dialogue for Parents & Students

Winter Retreat Parent Cue Questions

Questions for parents and teenagers to dialogue together, naturally.  Don't press them into answer any of all of these questions, but may they be great lead-in questions for dialogue between you and your teen.  

Before the Trip:

·     

• What are you most looking forward to on the Winter Retreat? Why?
• The Winter Retreat’s theme this year is Sketch, what do you think they’ll be talking about?
• 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 (that’s been weighing on you)?
• 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?

After the 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 your top highlights 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?

Mom Gives 13-Yr Old Son an iPhone with an 18-Point Agreement

Check out this link on what parents are doing to teach responsibility and truly live in the world of technology:

Mom Has Son Sign 18-Point Agreement Before Getting His iPhone

New January Teaching Series

PAUSE:

Series Overview

Ever feel like life is moving, or rather, rushing forward at an unsustainable pace? It seems like more often than not, that is just the way things are. But in effort to keep up with everything and everyone around us, it may be that we are missing out on experiencing God's presence. What would it take for you to pause? To stop? To just "be," long enough to take note of the living God in the midst of our spinning world?

Session One: Breathe (January 6th)

What’s on your “to do” list today? A big test? Practice after school? Work? What about breathing? Have you scheduled time to just stop and breathe? “Uh, sure,” you’re thinking, “I am going to breathe today. What kind of question is that?” But what if you took time today to pause and really enjoy the moments you are in? Instead of thinking about whatever is next, you decide to really “be” where you are and soak up every second. What if you decided to pause . . . and then breathe?

Parent Cue with Student: How do you “pause”—and how often do you do it? What benefits do you see afterwards?  

Session Two: Search (January 20th)

The Bible says that God is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere at all times. Sometimes we are in such a rush, we don’t even notice Him. But what if life became a big search? What if, as you went through every day, you paused and looked for God to show up everywhere you went? And what if you realized that no matter where you go or what you do, He is there? It might completely change the way you look at life—even the most mundane, ordinary parts of your day. So today, pause . . . and then search.

Parent Cue with Student: Have you “seen” God lately? Where did He show up? Were you surprised to see Him where you did? Why or why not?

Session Three: Discover (January 27th)

Last week, we talked about how God is everywhere and if we pause and look, we can find Him. But sometimes that’s really hard to do, isn’t it? Sometimes life gets really hard. Sometimes life hurts a lot. Sometimes pain and disappointment seem pretty intense and God seems really far away. But even in those moments, God is there. In fact, God is known for taking even the worst situations and bringing something good out of them. We just can’t always see that until we pause . . . and then discover that God is closer than your breath.

Parent Cue with Student: Have you ever seen God during a really tough time? If so, explain.