JUNE 2009

MISSOURI VALLEY
CHRISTIAN CHURCH

RUSH Ever wonder what other Teens think?

SCHEDULE Peer Pressure is a
CHALLENGE 5 : 5 0 crazy thing. Sometimes
people actually pressure us
DINNER 6:00
to do things we normally
JR. HIGH WORSHIP- 6 : 3 0 wouldn’t. Sometimes we
HIGH SCHOOL LIFE-
GROUPS feel peer pressure that isn’t
real. We imagine that peo-
HIGH SCHOOL WOR- 7:30
SIP—JR. HIGH LIFE
GROUPS T H E P OW E R O F P R AY E R
BY SAM EVENS 8TH GRADER
RUSH ENDS 8:30
SUNDAY SCHOOL (ON 9:15 Whenever your
SUNDAYS AM)
teacher at your church asks
“What are some ways you
praise God?” The answer
Contact Information: “Prayer” always comes up.
Prayer is one of the many
Missouri Valley Christian Church
ways we connect with God.
119 N. 4th St.
Prayer is our way to thank
Missouri Valley, IA 51555
God and ask for forgiveness.
712-642-4179
It says in 1 Thessalonians
youth@missourivalleychurch.org
5:17 “Pray continually”. This
www.missourivalleyyouth.org
verse leads me to think that
even though we do pray, and
Hillsong
it is an action, it is also a
lifestyle.
Hey guys I want to tell
you about one of the best wor- With me I usually
ship bands out there!! Hillsong pray twice a day (maybe
has written songs like Mighty to three on occasion), but
Save and Take it All along with when Mr. Al asked me to
many other songs. Check them write this I started praying
out on I Tunes or My Space much more. I found myself
cause they are really good and praying five to seven times a
challenge us to go deeper in day. Since then I have no-
our worship of Jesus. ticed a complete change in
the ways I associate with
ple expect or want things
from us, and it influences
us. I find myself doing this,
and wonder what do people
actually think.
To answer this
question, I have found arti-
people at school and
church.
Not to say that I am
perfect with everyone, my
family life is good but I don’t
always treat them with re-
spect. My grades have got-
ten better and I’ve just no-
ticed not feeling as stressed,
and the weird thing about
that is at this time I usually
get really stressed. I have
finals; I’m waiting for sum-
mer, and getting ready to
work at VBS and other kid’s
camps. I just feel like every-
thing has just fallen into
place. The power of prayer is
VERY strong.
Satan always tries
to get you to think that God
doesn’t listen to your
prayers. That is not true.
God listens to and answers
everyone’s prayers. He just
cles written by teenagers
for teenagers to help give
you better insight into what
your peers really think.
Maybe it will encourage you,
check out the above article
from an 8th grader on
doesn’t answer them right
away or always with “Yes”.
Satan uses that to make us
think that God doesn’t care.
Jesus gave His
model prayer in Matthew 6.
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come, your
will be done on earth as it is
in heaven. 11Give us today
our daily bread. 12Forgive us
our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. 13And
lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil
one.
This is the basis of
all of our prayers. We recog-
nize Him and His greatness,
give thanks, ask for bless-
ings, ask for forgiveness,
and ask for help.
Courtesy of Teanlifeminis-
tries.com
 PARENTS PAGE Page 2

Parenting Dont’s ………….. by Paul Evans & Al Millergren

1. Fail To Show Them Love.
There are many mistakes, which may be made as a parent but never make the mistake of failing to
show your love for you teens. Demonstrating your love will cover a multitude of mistakes. Your teens
will realize sooner or later that you have been sincere while trying to raise them to be the best they can
be. This will especially hit home when they have children of their own.
2. Expect Them To Enjoy Your Hobbies.
This is especially tough for a daddy who loves sports and wants his son to play but the son has no
real interest. He may be interested in the band or the schools play and really want to be involved. Put
your pride on the back burner and let him enjoy his hobbies. Like I said, “this is tough.”
3. Accept Less Than They Can Do.
They may struggle to make a “C” in school and that’s okay if that is the best they can do but do not
accept less. Most teen’s need to be encouraged and even pushed into making good grades or excelling
in some activity. Let them try it on their own but do not allow them to do less than they can do. Be an
encourager, a motivator, or even a nag if need be. They may have to eventually fail at something in or-
der for them to learn that they can succeed.
4. Force Them To Be What They Are Not.
Singing in the youth choir or youth group is very commendable but singing may not be their
gift. Also, as bad as we hate to say it college is not for everyone either. This is
extremely tough especially if mom and dad are college educated.
5. Fail To Discipline Them.
Proper discipline is key to the success of your teens. Remember, discipline is
not always being negative like many may think. Praising your teens may also be
used as a discipline. You may praise a teen into making good grades or cleaning
his room. Coaches praise their teams in the locker room before the big game to
get them to excel on the field during the game. Parenting
6. Spoil Them.
Spoil them now and pay later. I have seen parents who give their teens every-
thing and do everything for them. Later in life that teen does not cope so well Don’ts…….
when trying to accomplish a task. When they have to answer to a boss or someone
in authority they may not be able to handle it without some type of altercation. Let
them earn a few things. I promise, it will not hurt them.
7. Force Them To Play Sports.
You may encourage them to try sports to see if they like it but do not force
them to play. How would you feel if you forced them to play and they broke a leg
or even their neck? If they do play sports let them play for fun and enjoyment and not for “blood and
guts.” I never thought I would be saying these things because I was a “blood and guts” dad when it
came to sports.
8. Let Them Miss Church.
You are the parent and God put you in charge of making decisions until your teens are mature and
able to make the proper choices. You may not believe it now but one day they will thank you for making
them do things right, especially spiritual things.
9. Expect Perfection.
In all probability you will be very disappointed if you expect your teens to be perfect in every
way. There is only one who is perfect and He is at the right hand of God. Think back on your teenage
years, how perfect were you? I did not say that they should not do their best but they will not be perfect
in everything.
10. Be So Involved In Outside Activities That Your Teens Do Not Have Time For Family.
It is great for your teen to be involved in sports, band, school plays, church youth groups, or other activi-
ties but not to the extent of neglecting their families. List the activities, which they are involved in and
how much family time they have. We only have them once, and for a short while, so let’s make it count
for God and family.