December Issue

Hey Church!

In the month of November, most people think about two things: being thankful, and of course, food. We hopefully took the time to slow down and be thankful for all that God has blessed us with, and my prayer is that we all reflected a thankful heart and attitude towards all that we encountered. Drew preached through a great sermon series this month that should have cultivated a thankful heart in all of us for what God has done. If all God did was send His Son Jesus to save us then we would have more than enough to be thankful for. God did not stop there though, did He? He has blessed us and continued to be faithful to us time and time again. We truly have so much to thank Him for. This past month we had our Fall Retreat at Pine Eden, had our Midweek Service around the fire pit, served with OCC, and ended the month with our Annual Turkey Bowl. As I reflect on this past month, and for that matter the past six months I have been here, I cannot help but be thankful to God for allowing me and my family to serve here a Lakewood. You all have served and given of your time and resources so well in the time that I have been here. Thank you to all who serve and give to our church. You make it possible to minister to and serve our students here. Looking forward, we have more opportunities to serve and give, and I know you all will step up to the plate. Our Missions Tree Lot has started here at Lakewood and I encourage you all to buy a tree with a purpose this year. Remember that all proceeds goes towards sending someone on mission next summer to share the gospel in Wyoming and Ecuador. If you have time to serve, I would be thrilled to have you serve.

In Christ,

Josh

We will have a mandatory meeting for all students, and at least one parent, on December 11th at 6:30pm to discuss details and sign forms for our Winter Retreat at Snowbird. Please make plans to attend.

If you have a balance due for Winter Retreat at Snowbird, please pay that as soon as possible.

We are already a few days in, but if you like a free Christmas Devotional, please stop by the FAC and pick up your copy in the foyer off the resource table.

The Missions Tree Lot will run until December 15th. There is still time to help make the tree lot a success by either serving or buying a tree.

December 18^th: Student Ministry Christmas Party (6:30pm-8:00pm)

Come and join us during our regularly scheduled Midweek time for our Student Ministry Christmas Party! We will have an ugly sweater contest, games, and food. Please bring a $5 gift for Dirty Santa and parents, please send a sweet treat or finger food with your student as well.

December 21^st: Guys and Gals Night (6:00pm-Until)

Ladies- This will be the 3^rd annual Christmas Party at the Baker House! There will be breakfast for dinner and be sure to wear you Christmas PJs. There will be games and we will watch a Christmas movie.

Guys- We will meet at the FAC at 6:00pm. We will go out to eat and go Axe Throwing in Opelika. Be sure and wear your flannel! Cost is $30.

December 30^th-January 1^st: Winter Retreat at SWO

We will have a short meeting on December 11^th at 6:30pm. This meeting is mandatory for all participants and at least one parent/guardian unless other arrangements are made with Josh. Your balance is due now if it has not been paid.

SWO Winter Retreat Registration Link

Above is the link to register for the SWO Winter Retreat. DO NOT REGISTER OUTSIDE OF THIS LINK. If it asks you to pay any amount during the registration process, do not continue as you have managed to register outside of our group. All spots for this trip have been filled.

FINAL PAYMENT IS DUE.

As always, never allow money to be a reason your student does not attend a trip. Contact me and we will have a confidential discussion about sponsoring your student.

Join us in the FAC on Sunday Mornings at 10:00am for our guys and girls small group time. Our guys are led by Jacob Baker and Colt Spires, and our girls are led by Jordan Baker and Naomi Masuoka.

Who is Jesus? We will be looking to answer this question during our fall semester sermon series through the Gospel of Mark.

Parent Cue App - Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)

Raising kids with faith and character just got easier! Go and download the Parent Cue app today!

The Culture Translator

Get informed about the cultural trends impacting your student's world- all in a five-minute weekly read. It's free and there are many other resources for parents to be found at: axis.org

Be sure to like, follow, and share our social media accounts! This will be a great resource for you and your family to stay connected to the student ministry.