Student Life Camp 2009 - FLIP

January Newsletter

What an incredible opportunity we as a church have this coming year. The year 2009 holds for First Baptist Church of Senoia a chance to grow spiritually and in number. All we have to do is look around town to see that there is a tremendous harvest waiting to be brought in. People are moving into our area in droves. And I honestly don’t know of another church around that is as prepared to minister to the whole family as First Baptist is.

Some will come join us on a Sunday all on their own, either out of curiosity about the church or because they are looking for a new church home. But the majority of people need a little more than just the FBC sign in the yard to get them through our doors. The GA Baptist Association has found in a survey that over 85% of visitors in churches on the average Sunday come because they were personally invited by a church member. You may not be able to bring in five new people a week. But that one that you can invite is just one more that we can reach for the Kingdom of God.

Starting January 20, every third Tuesday night of the month will be dedicated as Youth Visitation night. What we do from month to month will probably vary. We could be making phone calls, writing postcards, visiting some friends in order to invite them to church, or just passing out flyers in one of the nearby subdivisions. There are a tremendous number of students in our area who go nowhere to church. Our goal is to create a desire in them to come join us. But it will take our own students getting involved to make it all happen. Even if you can’t commit to every month, come on those months when you can.

I am excited about the challenge that I issued to the students: to read through the entire Bible in 2009. It is a very demanding goal, but would you believe it only takes reading about three chapters a day to complete? I encourage the rest of our church as well to consider taking on this challenge. If you want a copy of the monthly reading plan, just see me.

Living for His glory,
Bro. Ryan

Meal on the Move

This Friday, we'll be having our first ever Youth Christmas Progressive Dinner. Plan on meeting at the church at 5:45pm. We'll take the bus to our first stop: appetizers. Once we've finished there, then we'll head on to the main course, then it's over to another house for dessert and a White Elephant Gift Exchange. We should be back to the church around 9:30pm.

If you've never seen a White Elephant Exchange before, it is a lot of fun. We'll explain the rules once we get to that house. All you need to know to be ready for it is to bring some kind of gift. It could be something from home that you don't use anymore. Many people try to bring something that would be kind of a gag gift. If you choose to go out and buy something, then just make sure to keep it under $5.

Call or email Bro. Ryan with any questions that you may have. We hope to see you out on Friday for this great time!

December Newsletter

Well, another year has once again come and gone. This past year has been so much fun for our youth, both in the Bible study times we’ve had on Sundays and Wednesdays and in the places we’ve been able to go. In just a few short weeks, we will ring in yet another new year. I can almost hear the starting gun signaling the next 52 exciting weeks that I know is in store for the youth and this church.

I think I might be too young to say this, but I have no idea where the time has gone. It’s so hard to believe that it has been over a year now since Kim and I came into the church. In some ways, it seems just like a couple of days ago that we were moving in. In other ways, we feel like we’ve known some of you for so much longer than a year. This church has been such an amazing blessing to me and my family!

This past week, some of the youth and adults were able to go and help again at the Processing Center for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. The Atlanta center is projected to receive and ship anywhere from 700,000 to 1,000,000 shoeboxes in the span of about three weeks. The 97 boxes that we took with us from our church are headed to India and the south African countries of Ghana and the Republic of Benin. Everyone has been so faithful to give what they can to help out in this effort. Thanks so much to all who contributed through the gift of a simple shoebox.

My family wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! In all that’s going on during this next month, don’t forget the reason we celebrate this time of year: the coming of the Lord Jesus.

When is a shoebox not a shoebox?

When it's packed with toys and other items for Operation Christmas Child! All this month, we are working on filling boxes for this annual Samaritan's Purse project. Then on November 24, we'll be taking our boxes to the processing center to be sent to children in need all over the world. We're also going to lend a hand at the processing center, preparing each of the donated shoeboxes for shipping overseas.

Please be a part of this tremendous effort to reach both children and their families all over the globe with the Gospel. If you have an interest in going to the processing center with our group, you can find all the information you'll need in the Current Events section of this site or on the youth bulletin board at church. You will need to sign up in advance in order to be able to go.

To find a list of acceptable items for the shoeboxes, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

November Newsletter

We at First Baptist have been so blessed this year on so many levels. Our church has been blessed through God’s guidance and Pastor Ted’s leadership, the youth group has been blessed by wonderful support from all of you in the congregation, and I personally have been blessed to watch our group grow in its love for the Lord and His Word. God is so gracious to us to give us all we need; let’s not forget to show our gratefulness for His care.

This past month, we had an opportunity like never before to reach out to the surrounding community. East Coweta High School held its homecoming parade right down Main Street, giving us the ability to share the love of Christ by passing out sodas to those watching on the sidelines. We also were able to get details about our church’s ministries into their hands through flyers and customized cups for the soda. Continue to pray with me that God will use the service of His people and the work of His church to reach out to those in need of Him.

This month, we will once again take our youth to the processing center for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Last year, we as a church took almost 100 shoeboxes filled with toys and necessities for children in need. Those boxes last year were shipped off to children in India. Who knows where God will use our boxes this time? Let’s push that number over the century mark as we give out of the blessing we have received from the Lord throughout this past year. If you have an interest in going with our group, please come talk with me. We will be able to take up to 25 people this year.

Show them that you care...

Don't tell me you don't have them. I don't care if you are the girliest girl or manliest man, everybody has a special place in their heart for those furry stuffed animals. And today is the special day that we can celebrate these oft-forgotten creatures. Today is Plush Animal Lover's Day. If you just can't fall asleep without your lovable cotton-filled buddy, then remember to tell them today just how much they mean to you ...because they may not hear it again for another year.

Food for thought...

The other night during Nucleus, we finished up our discussion on the attributes of God. We’ve talked about His grace, righteousness, beauty, glory, eternity, etc. It’s really given me a renewed perspective on who God really is. If we are not careful, God’s magnificence can become routine to us, partly because we cannot accurately express His qualities with words. Sure, we refer to Him as all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing; actually being able to grasp what that actually looks like in a Being like our Heavenly Father is no easy task, though.

As we wrapped up our lesson Sunday night, we talked about the “Now What” of the message. We've learned quite a bit about God and the perfect qualities that He possesses, but how does that change us now? Does knowing that God is a God of order, wisdom, and holiness make a difference in the way that we live from day to day?

The apostle Peter reminds us that we are to imitate God’s holiness [I Peter 1:16]. With the words, “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect,” Matthew 5:48 affirms the idea that we are to strive for godliness in all we do. That last phrase, in itself, is probably routine to some, but if we put it into practice, what does that change in our lifestyles?

In short, all the rules, standards, and boundaries in the world can be boiled down to one ultimate command the believer is to follow: be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Now, granted, we will never be able to attain the perfection God embodies. That's why the Christian life is a continuous journey, not a destination. It's not something we will ever complete or fully attain this side of heaven. But imagine how different our lives would be if we simply followed that one law, and committed ourselves to strive for perfection and godliness in all that we do.

And the winner is...

As you may have seen, October 2nd was National Name Your Car Day. After a couple of weeks and much deliberation, it's time to announce the winning name for my car. We've voted on a Wednesday night, and the finalists were posted here on a poll so that the public could let their voice be heard as well. The winner (claiming 50% of all votes) is Leif E.

Maybe my Ford Explorer sharing a name with the Viking explorer whom we celebrated over a week ago will be a positive experience for him. He has been feeling neglected since I've started riding my bike to church every day.

Thanks to all of you who took part in this momentous decision.

Now I'm no scientist, but I love NUCLEUS!

Recently, I realized that some of you who read this blog may have no idea what it is that happens at First Baptist Church of Senoia at 5:30pm Sunday afternoons. Even if you look at our weekly schedule and see "Nucleus" on Sundays, there's a good chance you still are in the dark. If you are in this category, I don't want you to stay there; that's why I am about to share with you what this Nucleus thing is all about.

As I began to move toward a ministry position, God laid a vision on my heart for a youth ministry that went beyond fun and games, a ministry that would ground students in their beliefs so that they will hopefully stay in church after graduating high school (something very few youth actually do now). This foundation is intended to equip them to have a greater impact on their world for Christ. From this vision, a discipleship program called Nucleus was born.

The name Nucleus comes from the picture of an atom. The nucleus is at the very core of that atom. Likewise, what we study in Nucleus will get to the very core and center of Christian beliefs and values. It is designed so that a student may finish all the topics during their middle school and high school years. Nucleus is broken down into two semester-long classes a year. In some topics, we will study both the Old and New Testaments, what other religions of the world believe, and how we can defend our beliefs to others. Right now in Nucleus, we are in the middle of a class called "The Foundation." This study takes a deep look at all that Christians believe about the Bible, God, Christ, and the Church, among other things. It is really amazing to see how much God is teaching us through this study, and how excited the students are to dive into God's Word to learn more.

The Scripture that is the motivation behind the idea of Nucleus is 1 Peter 3:15 - "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Being ready to answer questions about his or her belief in Christ is a valuable quality for any believer, but it is becoming more and more critical for students especially to understand what they believe and why they believe it. If they can grasp these things, then nothing that they hear from others, be it a friend or a college professor, that is contrary to the Word of God will sway their faith one bit.

This is Nucleus in a nutshell. I hope that if you are a student in the Senoia area interested in learning more about what Christians believe, then you'll consider coming and joining us Sundays at 5:30pm. We'd love to have you.

We're gonna have to get a bigger house...

Hannah R. is turning 13 today!

We hope your day is great.

Trust in the Lord, and He will never fail you.

Happy birthday, Hannah!

Happy Leif Erikson Day!

Why doesn't old Leif E. get credit for any accomplishment in the discovery of America? After all, he came to North America in 1003, almost 490 years before Columbus. Luckily, the American government realized the great need to recognize the mostly unknown explorer and, in 1964, officially made October 9th "Leif Erikson Day." I'm sure that would have made his parents proud, if they were still with us.

Since this is a fairly new holiday for me, let me know how you usually spend Leif E. Day, or what you would consider to be an appropriate way to celebrate a day honoring a Viking explorer.

We've got (yet another) birthday in the house...

Alexis J. is celebrating her 14th birthday today!

We hope your have a great day.

Keep on letting God use you in all the ways He does.

Happy birthday, Alexis!

We've got (another) birthday in the house...

Heather R. turns 16 years old today!

We hope you really enjoy today.

Continue to follow after God's leading in your life.

Happy birthday, Heather!

We've got a birthday in the house...

Taylor C. is turning 17 today!

We hope you have a great birthday.

Trust the Lord in all that you do.

Happy birthday, Taylor!

It's Name Your Car Day!

Yes, that's right; today is for those of us who have neglected to give their vehicles a name. Since I know that most of you youth do not have cars of your own to name, I am giving you the opportunity to name mine. If you have a name that would be just perfect for this car, then leave me a comment and let me know what it is. I'll consider all the responses, and we'll vote as a group next Wednesday night in youth for the winner.

"Please vote, so I feel appreciated" - Ryan's Explorer

Dueling Prepositions

Recently, a family of one of the students in the youth group invited me for dinner. Before we ate, the student challenged me to a Guitar Hero duel. Despite my very limited exposure to the wildly popular video game, I agreed. After my rather pathetic attempt at playing a song on medium level, he stepped up and played the exact same song on expert…and blew my score away!

Something that I noticed while he was playing the song got me thinking. As he hit buttons and strummed the instrument with lightening speed in order to keep up with the song, I noticed that the noise from him playing the guitar was so loud that it just about drowned out the music itself. Sure, he was hitting every note perfectly (something I could never do), and he was doing all the right things, but it seemed like the right things were making it hard to hear the song he was playing.

I believe there is a direct parallel to the way we approach the Christian life. Could there be times when we realize that, while we are doing so much for the Lord, the “noise” from all that we are doing has caused us to lose our ability to hear Him clearly? That was the problem with the Ephesian church in Revelation 2. Though they had labored and had cast out false apostles and had persevered through all the trials, Christ pointed out one major flaw: “you have left your first love.” They had done so much for God that they failed to spend time with God. Yes, we are to do His will, and that includes serving Him in many ways. But there are so many things that are “right” and so many ways to “serve the Lord” that we need to be careful not to get caught up in serving for service’s sake. The Lord reminds us that sometimes we are to just “be still, and know that I am God.” [Psalm 46:10]

I hope this does not discourage you from serving God in ways you feel He wants you to serve. Serving God in the right way is never a bad thing. But make sure that your first love stays in its rightful place. Please don’t let the noise of your works drown out the voice and leading of God. May we never mistake our work for God as a substitute for a relationship with Him!

Happy National Mud Pack Day!

Because facials deserve a day named after them just as much as groundhogs do.

October Newsletter

Happy fall, everyone!

There’s so much happening with our youth through Nucleus and our study through the book of Revelation. God is really beginning to build up our group spiritually through the time we spend in His Word. It is truly awesome to see His hand in the things we do.

October 14th is the youth emphasis meeting in our annual fall revival. The night will begin with a free pizza dinner at 5:30, followed by the revival service at 6:30. Don’t forget to invite, invite, invite your friends between now and then, especially if you are unsure of their salvation. Let’s pack out the sanctuary with students who desperately need to hear about the love of God and how He can change their lives!

Later on in the month, on October 24th, we are heading to LaGrange to experience Faith Baptist’s Judgment Journey. This is a portrayal of their church’s idea of what will happen during the end times. The cost is $5 up front and is due by October 8th; however, you will receive the $5 back when you show up that night. We will leave the church at 5:30pm, but until we sign up for a time slot, I will not know an exact returning time. Bring some money for dinner on the way (this will be our YAC for October). Due to the intense nature of the journey itself, no one under 13 will be able to go.

I am so excited about the direction in which our group is headed. Please be in prayer for our students, leaders, and me as we continue in our journey together towards becoming more like our Savior.

We've got a birthday in the house...

Chris R. turns 17 today!

We hope you have a great day.

Keep on following the Lord.

Happy birthday, Chris!

New Student Ministry Website!

If you are a student in middle school or high school living near Senoia, GA, this website is for you. On it, you can expect to find current youth news, event information for our church, and even a devotional thought of the day from time to time.

Be patient with me as I am new to the idea of maintaining a webpage. Please email me with any questions you have.

Bro. Ryan