Central Presbyterian Church2566824906

CPC Student News Letter (September)

*Due COVID-19 all events are tentative and are subject to change.
Fall Youth Group Kickoff
August 30 - August 307 - 10LOCATION: 406 Randolph Ave Huntsville Al. 35801

Host a School Day

September 28am - 12pmLOCATION: 405 Randolph Ave.

Purpose: Use of the Cooper House to meet specific needs of students resulting from changes in the traditional learning environment at local schools.

The need: As schools have moved to only offer online options for school, parents/guardians are faced with an increased role of facilitating all aspects of the education of their children. This will all happen in the midst of many adults already struggling to adapt to working in different settings either at their home or workplace. An additional struggle for some is the lack of childcare that has been a certainty with all previous school years. In addition to all of this, students are faced with a need to be increasingly self-motivated in their studies, to be better able to self-manage their time, and be responsible for seeking outside help when they fail to grasp a concept that is presented through the online teaching format.

Why: We hope this service will aid in developing and continuing relationships that will provide opportunities to share the Gospel and mission of Christ with students and their families.

Timeline to implement proposed plan: Due to the new normal that schools and teachers are working towards and the normal realities of establishing a class for the beginning of the year, a likely start date would be Sept 2^nd. We planned to start August 26^th,but pushing the date back a week seemed best. This would allow for two full weeks of online learning classes before implementing this plan. We will start out with one day each week. (Wed.) and evaluate as we go.

Start Date: 09/02	Reassessment and Thoughts of Extension: 9/28
Possible End Date: 10/15	The extension or ending of this program will be based on the decisions that will be made in the future for and by the surrounding school systems.

Desired outcomes: Students will have a different environment other than their home to work and study. Students will have access to leaders who can provide additional support for concepts that were not fully grasped through the online format. This will be done by volunteers and staff. A short bible lesson will provide opportunities to share the gospel and encourage students in their faith. All of these interactions would further develop existing relationships and provide opportunities to create new ones.

Required resources:

Access to the Cooper House	There are 3 classrooms upstairs in the Cooper House that we will use where students could be spread out work. Each Classroom has a white board to use for instruction and or working out assignments. Tables will be set up in areas for students to work on. There is space for 15-20 students.
Access to the internet	With the Cooper house Wi-Fi access, students will be able to log into any of the programs needed for their classes.
Infrared Thermometer	Upon arrival, all students will have their temperature taken.
Pre-packaged snacks	Lite snacks will be provided. Students can also bring a lunch.

Format: Drop-in drop out with sign-in between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., just notify us of your attendance by night before. Students will then be assigned work-spaces to use. Leaders will circulate and assist as needed. If parents can stay, we encourage you to do so

Risk: Any meeting in person and indoors now carries risk. There is a possibility of the Coronavirus being brought into our facility and others who may be in the building being exposed.

Process to mitigate risks:

We will limit the number of students and adults in the area by setting up distanced work-spaces.	Before anyone enters the building, they will have their temperature taken to ensure they are not currently sick. As they enter hand sanitizer, gloves and masks will be available.
Everyone who participates will wear a mask for the entire time they are in the building.	Each room will have work stations set up that are distanced with a limited number of people in each room. In addition, each room will have hand sanitizer.
Only one person at a time will be allowed to use the restroom.	Rooms will be cleaned after each use.
The restrooms can be cleaned after each day the area is used.	Throughout the time in the building, all participants will be socially distanced.

Bonfire ( Social Distance)
September 275pm - 7pmLOCATION: The Duran's Home (See directory or Alex for address)
09/27, we will head out to the Durans' for a bonfire, s' mores, and (SD)outdoor games. With SD, we have space on the bus for six people, so call Alex ASAP if you need a ride. Meet us at CPC at 4:30 pm if you need a ride. If you are driving out to Durans', meet us there at 5 pm, the bus will return to the church by 8 pm. Bring friends, some friends, and family. Not sure what the weather will be like, so dress comfortably. We ask that everyone wear a face cove

Come hang out with us at Mr. Bill and Mrs. Angela's home for this year's bonfire.

Precautionary measures.

- We ask everyone to wear a face-covering

-Temperatures will be taken.

-Gloves and sanitizer will be made available.

- Games adapted for social distancing.
Confirmation

Congratulations to our 2020 confirmation class for doing so well during the examination and receiving confirmation. We will bring them before the congregation in the coming weeks. Welcome to this new chapter Alex, Abby Charls,Skye Marie,Brynn,Jonah and Dylan.
Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to a new fall semester. This year has had some unique challenges, but as we saw this summer, we can adapt to the situation and still have fun and grow together in Christ. This fall, student ministry will look a little different. I invite you and your friends to join us for an exciting semester! This year we will run, jump, catapult, and blow things up! We will also take the basics of our faith and allow God to help us go deeper in His word, pray harder, share boldly, trust stronger, and love others like family. Our Mission is to be a community of Christ-followers, dedicated to the K.I.N.G. K: Knowing Christ, I: Intentional community, N: New life, and G: Going together to make disciples. Our student ministry is a place for you to ask questions, receive guidance, and learn about faith. You do not have to face this year alone. We are here to help.

Here is a summary of our student ministry this fall.

Youth Group – Start your week off the right way with the Sunday night Youth Group 3 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We meet for Games and teaching. It is the place to celebrate the good news and bring friends.

Sunday School – Catch our Instagram live Sunday school or check out our youtube page. Learn the fundamental truths of scripture as we get back to the basics.

Reach Out Activities – T.B.D. You might get to help throw a Social distance cookout for some families who need love or get to run around a bonfire for three hours with glow sticks. Whatever we do, These are activities that encourage you to be a teenager and also provide opportunities to deepen your faith through serving.

Retreats – Bad news first: Unfortunately, as of right now, it doesn't look like there will be a ski retreat this year. Good news: We will have a day camp retreat outdoors at the Vision retreat center that will be Epic.

Volunteer Leaders – Our ministry's backbone is the adult leaders who volunteer their time to be with you. These leaders give time, energy, and love for each student who is in our ministry. They are here to support and care about you.

Your brother in Christ,

Alex Hunter

Director of Student Ministries
https://www.youtube.com/watch/CkwVKFbPbo0
ABC's of Homework
Jim Burns -President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University
For many families, homework is the number one source of conflict between parents and their kids. When kids won't do their homework or the quality of work is poor, the sparks begin to fly.

I interviewed the acclaimed parenting expert, author and columnist, John Rosemond, about what he believes parents should do regarding the issue of homework, and he outlined his ABC's:

A. All By Myself. Children ought to do their homework in a private, personal area -- not a high-traffic or family area like the kitchen. Insisting on a private area for homework tells your children that homework is their responsibility. As we help our kids move from dependence on us to becoming independent -- a private area allows them to function and complete tasks by themselves.

B. Back Off. Backing off means refusing to give children help with homework unless absolutely necessary. Although this is often difficult for parents, they need to realize that when children say, "I need help," it doesn't actually mean they do. According to Rosemond, when kids ask for help, about 80% of the time they are looking for mom or dad to solve a problem or bail them out of a situation that has frustrated them. When parents jump in to fix or bail out, they confirm for their children that they indeed were unable to solve the problem themselves. Backing off while supporting and encouraging your kids is the way to go. Even if kids fail, they will learn important life lessons.

C. Call It Quits. Rosemond suggests that parents set a time deadline when homework must be completed for the day, whether or not all assignments have been finished. When deadlines are set and kept, kids will begin to learn to manage their time more effectively.

These ABC's are nothing more than the approach to homework that most parents used 50 years ago. They might go against some popular thinking today, but they emphasize the development of self-discipline, responsibility, and the resourcefulness kids will need to become self-reliant and functioning adults.
Culture

by: Alex

Paying attention to contemporary culture is paramount to winsome, biblical youth ministry. Just like the sons of Issachar in 1 Chr. 12:32, wise youth workers will take the time to understand the times, to know how to answer with the gospel.

In every culture, there are aspects that the gospel comes to affirm, and there are aspects that it comes to critique. Just because something is cultural does not mean it is okay, and vise versa, culture is not inherently wrong. The youth worker's task is to help students discern the difference. "most these sheeple move like clones," but we want to help our youth be educated participants in the culture, in the world, but not of it. In the game of cultural engagement, students have three moves; participate, Reject, or react. We want to teach them to participate without compromising the message, how and when to reject aspects of culture and help them calm their anxieties so that they don't become reactive, alienating the culture. In our growing older, younger/growing younger, older, culture students need examples of how to navigate the systems of contemporary culture with Christian maturity.

The pulse of youth culture can be taken by paying attention to the media and music. The streets are preaching, and the youth are in the pews. These outlets disseminate powerful false stories, and those false messages influence the attitude of the day. The prevailing attitude today is the nonchalant "whatever" or "It doesn't matter. "Whatever" to the culture's demands and responsibilities. It is now cool to not care. Also, the experience of so many students of adults abdicating responsibility in the family is a factor influencing the cynicism of youth culture. Current statistics say that nearly half of all U.S. children will experience their parent's divorce. On top of all that, there is also the concern that older generations tend to devalue youth culture, which reinforces the influence of the media and music. Students desperately need to be immersed in their own culture to thrive, as all humans do, but they need God's story to affirm and critique it. We can help students most effectively by incorporating relevance while staying committed to conservative doctrine. Our task is to bring God's story "the scriptures to their story.

Each successive generation of young people is different. The spiritual attacks are different—entertainment orientedness and postmodern suspicion are two tactics of the enemy that heavily influence today's youth culture. Youth need people willing to enter their world, who know The Way, adapt their methods, and are skilled in showing them how to apply the Bible to their lives. Youth need people willing to love them like family into God's family.

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CPC Student News Letter (September)

Fall Youth Group Kickoff

Host a School Day

Bonfire ( Social Distance)

ABC's of Homework