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OUR VISION:  to build up and graduate students of influence

IMPORTANT ARTICLES:

The Truth about Teen Girls
How Important are Your Kid’s Grades?  Is there an emotional pricetag?
The Pitfalls of Popularity
Group Social Networking newsletter

 

Small Group Leader Behavior Policy is a guideline as to how our youth workers should behave when they are with your kids. If you see some things that aren’t aligning with this, you should let me know.

We try and keep to all of these, but sometimes we won’t be able to. For example: we don’t want leaders driving kids alone. However, there may be that time when one leader has to drop off a couple of kids and at some point there is only one kid left. We get that. Or, there just needs to be a one on one time, but you should always be aware of when they are leaving, where they are going (public place) and when they are coming back.

 

Do we have a ... Dating Policy?

The answer is, NO. Certainly though, in our line of business we seldom see anything good come out of it…usually pain, broken hearts, jealousies, distracts and divides the group, etc. I definitely do see a correlation though between age/maturity and the handling of a dating relationship. 16-17 seems to be that age where the kids seem to handle it better. 7th-9th grade dating/relationships don’t end well.

All that being said – we don’t encourage it, we feel the heart and soul are too important to get scarred up in this rough and brutal time, but it’s the parents’ call and not ours. So we teach principles about relationships so that if they do, they have a little more wisdom to help them navigate through it.

 

How about a Clothing Policy?

This seems to come up from time to time. Our policy is simple: If a leader or teen is uncomfortable with what someone is wearing, they should gently approach them and let them know. We have sweatshirts, sweat pants, and t-shirts here to help cover up if need be.

The problem is that we don’t want to become legalistic or pharisaical about it. No mini-skirts, or short shorts. What does that mean? OK, nothing more than 3 inches above the knee. OK…but I’m not going to walk around with a ruler and measure. OK…if they hold their hands down to their sides and their fingers touch skin, it’s too short. Well, what if the kid has short arms and long legs?

So, it’s a difficult thing. Thus, we trust our leaders to use their judgment. As a parent, I know how difficult it can be…I certainly don’t look at my daughter with a critical eye. She’s still that little 4 year old kid. But I was in Taco Bell the other day with her and a man came in and started sizing her up. You ladies know the look, a quick glance from head to toe and back up again. So, I have to do a better job of making sure her clothes draw attention to her face, and not anywhere else.

The boys need to do their best to not have sagging pants with their underwear showing.

  

Parents Page

Each week, Pastor Dane sends out an e-letter to all parents, giving an update on what’s going on, as well as current trends and news.   If you’re not receiving the e-letters and would like to, email Dane

____________________________________

July 23, 2010

Dear Parents,

Greetings! Just back from a little vacation and boy, was it a doozey. I returned “home” after 35 years. By home, I mean the Ozarks where I grew up during those formative years up from 3 -11. I walked the same trails I did as a kid, playgrounds, schools, church, stores… I saw relatives I haven’t seen since 1986; visited the church where I first was a youth pastor (Gainesville, GA), it was very much a walk down memory lane.

But I’m back in the saddle today and looking forward to serving you!

Summer schedule:


We have a number of things coming up…

Six Flags, canoeing, Food road trip, and more.

However, one issue here at Grace is that giving has been so down, that we can’t spend any more money. With that in mind, some of these trips may be canceled.

I know in these times, having money is tough. I know in the summer when people are gone so much that often, worship by giving sometimes doesn’t happen.


In my own life, when Loyda and I moved up here back in January of 2004 – we really had no idea about the cost of living. We had been missionaries, making it on less than $18,000 a year with 4 kids. Moving up here and making a lot more money than we did as missionaries seemed like a cinch. Boy was I wrong about the cost of living difference! Pretty soon I found myself cutting lawns just to make ends meet.

However, we had committed to tithing, and found ourselves never wanting. We found it a blessing to give, in faith. By doing so we acknowledged that GOD was in charge, not us – that God was the provider and that HE knew our needs and met them.


It was scary at first, writing that check out at the beginning of the month, knowing it could relieve some pressure and give us some breathing room. But we also realized that by NOT doing so, we would be robbing God of what was rightfully His. We would also be demonstrating a lack of faith in His promise to test Him.

In fact, to my knowledge, the only time God authorizes us to TEST Him is in regard to this very topic. Malachi 3:8-12 records God saying to not rob him by withholding bringing the tithe to the storehouse, and He says if we do so, then HE will bless us in a number of ways, TEST Him in this.


Loyda and I have been blessed. Sometimes things are tight, but God always meets our needs. At one point someone sent us a check out of obedience to God’s urging. That met some huge needs we had. Recently we were blessed with a newer model Honda, a gift from a friend and church member. I had been praying about my old 92 Honda with 222,000 miles on it and would we be OK if it finally died. Certainly my tithe would have covered a car payment, but it was never considered. That was God’s money, not mine. And ultimately God provided at the right time.


Anyhow, just wanted to encourage you in that regard. It really is a blessing and privilege to tithe.

For this week:

Sunday JR Magee will be teaching MS on serving others at 9 AM and I will be teaching HS on Christian ethics at 10:45.

Monday will be Others First Day. We meet here at 9 and go out and do some community service until about noon, then we grab a bite at the mall. Hope to see your kids here. Have them bring money for lunch, water, and closed shoes.

There is an outside chance this might be moved to Wednesday. If so, you will receive an email by Sunday.

God Bless You all!

Dane

 

  
   

 

  
       

353 River Road, Hudson, Massachusetts 01749 Ph: (978) 562-8550 Fx: (978) 562-8551 email: info@gracehudson.org

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