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Cross Creek Community Church570-696-0399

May News Letter

What A Year!
Never in my wildest dreams did I think what we've all been through for the last year and a half would've happened. We were limited on if we could meet, spacing of chairs, masks, having to rethink how to do events etc. We've been through a lot as a student ministry and I know you have been through a lot this past year as parents. You have been in my prayers continually and will remain there along with your teens.

I am so excited for this summer and what God is going to have for us as a student ministry. As we get back into the swing of things I want to ask you to pray for the volunteer team, myself, and of course the students. Pray that God would ignite in our students a craving for the Word of God and the desire to live for Him. Pray for endurance for myself and the volunteer team as we come out of one of the weirdest seasons of ministry yet. God has been assembling a team of leaders who care for your teens and want to see them grow in their relationships with God. We look forward to partnering with you as parents this summer & beyond, and as always are here to minister to you as well.

Serving YOUth,

Pastor Bryan

PS: If anyone has a pool and is interested in hosting our student ministry at your house this summer on a Wednesday night we would love to talk with you!
Knoebels Trip
June 191pm - 10:30pmLOCATION: Knoebels Amusement Park
We will be headed to Knoebels as a group in June to have a fun day together enjoying the park. We will meet at Cross Creek at 1pm to load up in the church van. Knoebels is a free admission park but you pay per ride/game/attraction. You can purchase tickets in the park or at Weis Markets for a discounted price. Students are encouraged to bring money for tickets and dinner in the park, but they may also bring their own dinner if desired. Any questions see Pastor Bryan.
Adolescence: A Season of Pressure
Doug Fields -Author of Intentional Parenting
On the outside, most young people seem happy-go-lucky, but inside each adolescent is a complex network of potentially explosive pressures. Adolescents with a strong parental and social support system are the least likely to experience the painful effects of the pressures they face. When parents become aware of the typical sources of pressure that kids face, they are better able to provide their kids encouragement and support. Here are five common pressures adolescents face:

1. The Pressure to be Perfect.
Teens repeatedly talk about their parents wanting them to be perfect, particularly in the areas of behavior and school. No kid is perfect and when they fall short of their parents' expectations, they feel more pressure.

2. The Pressure to Succeed.
The pressure to succeed elicits the attitude that life is a perpetual performance. To fail is to feel stupid. When kids fail, they fear that others will reject them.

3. The Pressure to Conform.
Kids find it extremely uncomfortable to be different from their peers; so, they work hard to fit in and be accepted by one of the subcultures on their school campus.

4. The Pressure from Body Changes.
Since consistent change is part of the developing adolescent body, teenagers are in a continual state of stress over what's happening or what's not happening.

5. The Pressure from Emotions.
Adolescence is a time of emotional development. For many teens, the strength and frequency of their emotions is much like having new emotions altogether. They are often not sure where the emotions have come from, and they are equally unsure what to do with them.

Pressure is simply going to be part of the adolescent experience. Learning to process pressure and stress is actually an important part of preparing kids to face the pressures and stresses of adulthood. Rather than trying to eradicate all pressure, the wise course for parents is to help kids manage and moderate the pressures they face so that they do not become overwhelmed as they journey toward adulthood.
Five Ideas for Communicating Christ to Your Kids
Jim Burns -President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University
If you find it challenging to talk with your teen about God and spiritual issues, you are not alone. It's not that parents don't want to talk about faith with their kids, but rather that they don't know how to get started. Here are five practical suggestions to get faith conversations started in your home.

1. Be yourself. You don't need a seminary degree to talk to your kids about God. You don't have to speak like a pastor giving a sermon. Just be yourself in conversations with your teenager. Share your understanding of who God is and why He matters to you in a way that reflects the real you.

2. Don't limit your faith conversations to Sunday mornings. Don't get caught in the trap of compartmentalizing faith issues to certain days or times. Let you kids know that spiritual issues are important in your life all of the time! Don't go overboard, but make faith issues an ongoing discussion with your family.

3. Let your kids catch you in the act of doing something spiritual. Spending time alone with God is great, but how will they know about the value you place on spiritual disciplines if they never see you engaged in them? Let your kids "see" you involved in these disciplines. Your actions teach your teenagers much about your faith, and likely communicate more than your words.

4. Look for natural opportunities to engage in faith conversations. Be on the lookout for opportunities along the road of life where issues almost beg to be discussed in light of your Christian commitment and faith. Try utilizing news items and entertainment media sources as springboards for faith conversations.

5. See yourself as a "fellow-learner" rather than a teacher. Taking the posture of a "fellow-learner" takes much of the pressure off of you and sends the message that you don't claim to know everything about the Christian faith. It's truly healthy when your teen asks a faith question that you need to reply with, "I don't know the answer. Let's figure it out together."