Please register your teen for the 2020-21 school year RIGHT HERE! :)
Living Hope320-760-4898
September: Here We Go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch/DNJf-mu-TUMSeptember 2, 2020
Dear Parents,
I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. I know this pandemic has been stressful to many and recognize that socializing and interacting with peers is a healthy way for your teen to cope with stress and connect with others, particularly after spending quite a bit of time at home. More importantly, however, I hope you have experienced God’s deep peace that comes from knowing and loving Him. I’ll admit, as a family, it’s been a struggle to continually find our joy in Him through these last months, but we continue to look to Jesus as our refuge and strength in hard times (Heb. 12:1-2).
After careful thought and planning, I am excited to let you know that we plan to resume youth ministry programming while understanding the CDC considerations to protect teens, families and our community. Sunday mornings will kick off on September 13 and Wednesday nights begin on September 16. Although there is an increased risk of transmission by meeting, offering in-person gatherings at this point seem like a necessity to help our students continue growing in their relationship with Jesus. That may change if cases increase in our county, but we’ll make that decision when/if that happens. Below, you will find a summary of actions we are taking to help ensure we are addressing the risk of transmitting COVID-19. We are:
- Making special note of cleaning and disinfection practices within our facilities by ensuring highly touched surfaces are cleaned between uses.
- Continuing to place teens in small groups on Wednesday nights on a biweekly rotation for continued discipleship and during large group times, spacing them out at a distance that is comfortable for everyone.
- Limiting the number of items that are shared or touched between students by serving cans of pop, self-serve cups of water and single bags of snacks.
- Requesting that leaders and students wear a cloth face covering as feasible, particularly in times when physical distancing is difficult. As a reminder, cloth face coverings will not be required when outside, when playing games when it’s difficult to breathe fully, while eating or drinking, and should not be placed on anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance.
- If a student does get sick on Wednesday night or Sunday morning during a youth gathering, we have identified an area in Room 104 where they can rest, be watched after, and safely isolate from others. We will communicate with parents or caretakers directly and, if necessary, arrange for the child to be taken to a healthcare facility for care.
Anyone who tests positive with the virus should quarantine for the recommended 14 days. If a teen/adult has a confirmed case of COVID-19, please let me know as we’ll need to communicate to anyone who may have had exposure. Your name will be held in confidence.
If you have any questions, please contact me for more information. You can also find more information about COVID-19 at the MN Dept. of Health site for youth programs or on CDC’s website for youth and summer camps.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
-Sam
Upcoming Events
Youth Group Kickoff
September 166:30pm & 8pm
JR High Fall Stay-treat
October 1010am - 7pmLOCATION: ChurchJoin us for a FREE event here in town! Our theme will be "High Expectations" dealing with how to be faithful in hard circumstances.
Details TBA!
SR High Fall Fling
November 6 - November 83pm - 3pmLOCATION: Camp ShamineauSave the Date! Details to come!
JR High Winter Wipeout
January 22 - January 243pm - 4pmLOCATION: Camp ShamineauSave the Date! Details TBA
JR High District Blitz
April 23 - April 25LOCATION: Duluth, MNSave the Date! Details TBD
Article Theme: Busy-ness
Five Ways Busy Parents Can Reprioritize Their Lives
Jim Burns -President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific UniversityOf the 24 hours - the 1,440 minutes - available to us each day, parents actually spend very little time with their children. Remember, all we have is right now. So, how about you? What does how you spend your time say about your priorities? Do you need a little help getting your priorities straight? Here are five ways you can reprioritize your life:
1. Ruthlessly Eliminate Stress. No one can get their priorities straight if they're constantly living "under the gun." If there's so much stress in your life that you're finding it difficult to keep your priorities in order, lighten your load first - and now!
2. Make Daily Solitude a Priority. Don't let guilt make you feel like you're "avoiding your family" for taking time for yourself each day. It's a must, even if it's just 15 minutes in the morning for "quiet time" with the Lord. No one will miss you if you "take 5" for yourself every now and then.
3. Develop a "Blank Slate" Approach. Begin and end each day with no agenda. Come before the Lord with open arms, hands, and an open mind and heart each morning. Let Him set your day in motion and then give everything back to Him at the end of each day - all your worries, cares, successes, failures. Exchange them for a good night's sleep. (See Psalm 91:1.)
4. Give Your Family Your Best, Not Just Your "Emotional Leftovers." It may be noble to "give your all" at work. But what does that leave for your spouse and kids? Not much? Not good! Your family deserves the best you have to offer. They need you healthy, rested, happy, or perhaps more importantly, content. Don't just leave "table scraps" from your heart for them. Give them the main course. Then, watch how your priorities change by themselves!
5. Don't Wait. This is your life and these should be your priorities. If you're waiting for someone else to come alongside you and tell you how to live your life, you're in for a long wait. The time to make the changes is now—so get to it!Reprioritizing your life doesn't have to be difficult. But, if you're like most of us, it does need to be done every now and then. And, with God's help, you can do it!